When buying fruits and vegetables, many people like to choose a good “look”, and think that the quality of bright colors and regular shapes is good. Therefore, many merchants “beautify” fruit and vegetable products, pick out products that sell well, package them and sell them at higher prices. However, some unscrupulous traders use excessive chemicals or illegal additives to treat fruit and vegetable products in order to deceive consumers in pursuit of greater benefits.
Is it really necessary to excessively pursue the “appearance” of fruit and vegetable products? How are fruit and vegetable products kept fresh? Can products with high “value” be bought with confidence?
“High-value” fruits and vegetables are favored by the market
Many consumers say they are willing to pay for the “selling”
Gucheng Street, Shouguang City, Shandong Province is one of the largest tomato production and distribution centers in the country, with an annual output of 260,000 tons of tomatoes, which are sold throughout the country.
According to Wang Quanrong, deputy director of Gucheng Street, some supermarkets do have certain requirements on the quality of vegetables, and rarely allow vegetables with poor quality to be sold directly on the shelves. They started sorting a few years ago, and each region has different sorting standards. “If you don’t sort, the products will not be sold.” Wang Quanrong said, “The remaining products after sorting are sold to small supermarkets by vendors. The price difference is very large. Products with 3 or 4 yuan are only sold for 1 yuan.”
△ “Beauty fruits and vegetables” sorted in the supermarket
After visiting many supermarkets, the reporter also found that fruit and vegetable products with high “value” are indeed very marketable.
Zhou Meirong, a vegetable chain store clerk: It is convenient for both the salesperson and the customer, and the things you can see at a glance are better.
He Qinghong, a vegetable chain store clerk: The product looks different, and the price is also different. The difference is two or three yuan. Because the package is well selected, the variety and quality are good, and the preservation time is longer. Bulk products are picked up by customers, and the loss is high.
He Qinghong also told reporters that young people prefer to buy packaged fruits and vegetables, and most of the elderly buy bulk products.
△ “Beauty fruits and vegetables” sorted in the supermarket
From a consumer’s point of view, fruit and vegetable products with high “value” are indeed more attractive.
Mr. Li: Convenience comes first, which makes my consumption experience better. It doesn’t matter how expensive it is.
Ms. Yang: The bulk package is not as good as the individually packaged package. The individual packaged package is provided by the manufacturer. The quality is guaranteed and the price is higher.
Some unscrupulous merchants “illegal beauty” of agricultural products
Expert: Consumers should not over-pursue fruits and vegetables to “sell their looks”
Due to the continuous improvement of consumers’ pursuit of quality, “fruit and vegetable sorting” has emerged in recent years.
However, some black-hearted vendors have moved their minds and used illegal means to make their products look more attractive: “injecting” watermelon, “bathing” rambutan, and “bleaching” yam.
△ “Poisonous Rambutan” case, source: CCTV.com
Previously, the media exposed the phenomenon of “taro soaking” in some areas: after the horseshoe and taro were peeled, they were illegally soaked with sodium metabisulfite to achieve the effect of bleaching and antiseptic, while also increasing the price.
It is true that consumers do have doubts about the possibility of buying agricultural products that are “good-looking”, high-priced, and of relatively average quality. Mr. Zhong from Jiangxi said that he had bought vegetables that looked good, but he didn’t find them fresh when he bought them. Mr. Hu also expressed his concern about the “illegal beauty” of fruits and vegetables. “If we buy vegetables soaked in syrup, we have no ability to distinguish. If we eat them in our stomachs, our body will be ruined.”
△ “Beauty fruits and vegetables” sorted in the supermarket
In this regard, Zhu Yi, an associate professor at the School of Food Science and Technology of China Agricultural University, said that it is human nature for consumers to pursue “good-looking” fruit and vegetable products. “The fruits and vegetables in the supermarket that are’selling’ and individually packaged are indeed a lot more expensive, which seems to be guiding consumers to pursue good-looking products.”
“But from a health point of view, they are not necessarily good.” Zhu Yi pointed out, “Food safety is the first priority, and it is understandable to pursue’presentation’ on the basis of safety, but if you sacrifice safety, or sacrifice part of your health, In terms of nutritional value, the pursuit of “presentation” is not even reasonable consumption.”
Zhu Yi also said that consumers should try their best to buy fruit and vegetable products through formal channels, and do not over-pursue the appearance of the products.
Zhu Yi: Among the “beauty agricultural products”, bleaching agents are the “big violators”. At present, there are seven kinds of bleaching agents allowed to be added to food in my country, including sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, sulfur, and chlorine dioxide. Among them, sulfur has clear limits on the scope of use, usage, and residues. Because this type of substance has a certain degree of toxicity, if the usage and residues cannot be strictly controlled, it may cause harm to human health.
▌Source of this article: Voice of China, Central Radio and Television Station (ID: zgzs001)
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