Would a Crocodile Dundee plum smell as sweet?

What’s in a name? As far as fruit and veg is concerned, things used to be fairly straightforward - a breeder had his success recognised by appending his own name to his creation. Mr Cox is probably the best known.

Then things moved on with descriptions to tempt the purse and the palate - like Golden and Red Delicious. This trend still continues, but one of the latest examples - which at least indicates a buoyant stonefruit industry in Israel - really stretches the imagination.

Only a fortnight ago in Tesco I came across Violet apricots, which were joined shortly afterwards by the Tiger variety (£2.99 for six).

And now in its Limited Edition stonefruit range there is another newcomer - Crocodile Dundee plums (£1.99 for six). As if that was not enough, under the same Ready to Eat brand there is another carrying the somewhat bizarre name of Watermelon (£2.99 for six).

Meanwhile, the weight of our own soft fruit continues to build unabated, although Sainsbury’s is sourcing redcurrants from France at two 150g packs for £3. If ever there was a crop which lends itself to cross promotion it is strawberries. These have been sourced in Scotland (£1.99 for 400g) and carry the sticker “Don’t forget the cream”.

Fruit from north of the border also features heavily at Marks & Spencer with two 400g lidded packs of Sonata strawberries banded together for £3.50. No cream was on display nearby, but on the salad shelf things were different. The message to the customer is M&S has “made space for other household name favourites”, which included mayonnaise, several dressings and croutons.

M&S has also come up with a new Sunshine Salad bowl (£2.99 for 400g) including appropriately colourful ingredients such as tomatoes (25 per cent), a mix of yellow peppers, carrots and green oakleaf (14 per cent), plus orange chard, frisée and Apollo lettuce.

More unusually, while there is a wide range of marinated beetroot in all produce departments, Sainsbury’s may be the first to integrate it into a complete salad snack, and prevent staining by enclosing it in its own packaging. For the record if you like beetroot, it accounts for 20 per cent in the newly launched mix at £2 for 230g alongside salad leaves and cherry tomatoes.

Finally, M&S has come up with the complete answer to 5 A DAY, with a new pack containing everything a diet-conscious shopper needs.

For £3.75 for 430g, the new packs include grapes, carrots, apple slices and cucumber all contributing 19 per cent; a berry compote (nine per cent); hummus (six per cent) plus dried cranberries, raisins and pumpkin seeds.