FROM THE FARM AND SUPERMARKET WITH THE TALES OF TASTE AND FLAVOUR: HOW COMMERCIAL PRACTICES INFLUENCE THE FLAVOUR OF YOUR FRUIT


 

Between the village in the rural areas, local fruit vendors in the street or the supermarket in cities and suburbs, you've probably wondered where to get fruits, right?

Maybe wondered, which one is fresher, healthier and possibly cheaper.

But one step in all these places often comes to question, how do they often remain ripe or ready for you to pick and place in your basket, or even stay ready for customers?

If you’ve ever wondered how supermarkets manage to keep bananas looking perfectly yellow or why store-bought tomatoes often lack flavor, you’re not alone. 

Behind those displays of ripe, shiny fruit lies a carefully controlled system of commercial ripening practices designed to balance shelf life, transport and consumer appeal.

But all this engineering comes at a cost, and that cost is often taste.

In this post, we’ll uncover how fruits are ripened in the commercial supply chain, what methods are used to delay or accelerate the process, and how these choices affect what ends up on your plate.

From Orchard to Aisle: The Fruit Supply Chain

For large-scale agriculture, the journey from field to fork is long, and fruit must be tough enough to survive it. That’s why many fruits, especially climacteric fruits (fruits that still ripen after harvest like bananas, avocados, and tomatoes), are harvested before they’re ripe.

Why?

- Unripe fruits are firmer and less prone to bruising.

- They can last longer during transport.

- Ripening can be controlled and timed to match delivery and shelf schedules.

The result, includes fruit that is often ripened off the plant, using artificial conditions.

Ethylene Chambers: Controlled Ripening

Ethylene is the chemical which plants release that is often used for ripening for fruits, as they grow on trees. For climacteric fruits, commercial ripening usually involves ethylene gas chambers which are sealed rooms where ethylene concentration, temperature, and humidity are carefully regulated.

How It Works:

- Fruits (e.g. bananas, avocados, mangoes) are harvested green.


- They’re stored in ethylene chambers for 24–48 hours.


- Temperature (usually ~15–20°C) and humidity are adjusted to optimize enzyme activity. During ripening, enzymes are often crucial to assist chemical reactions that in turn improve the texture, colour, flavour and firmness of the fruit.


- Ripening is initiated and continues even after fruits are removed.

This process allows retailers to deliver fruit that is visually ripe, yet still firm enough for a few days on the shelf.

Benefits:

- Minimizes spoilage during shipping.

- Synchronizes ripening for consistent display.

- Allows year-round availability.

Cold Storage: Delaying Ripening

Refrigeration is another key part of commercial fruit handling. Cold temperatures slow down enzyme activity and ethylene production, essentially putting ripening on pause.

This is especially important for:

- Apples (can be stored for months).

- Kiwis (can be held in cold rooms then ripened with ethylene).

- Tomatoes (though refrigeration can damage their texture and flavor, more on that below).

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

Another clever trick in the commercial toolkit is modified atmosphere packaging, where the air around the fruit is replaced with a custom gas mixture (usually low oxygen and higher CO₂) to:

- Inhibit ethylene action.

- Reduce respiration rate.

- Extend shelf life.

    This is often common for, fruits like pre-cut fruit packs, berries, salad greens.

While effective, MAP can sometimes lead to flavor degradation or textural oddities due to altered ripening dynamics. Often by the effects of low oxygen which does not encourage the proper enzymatic reactions to get the fruit to properly ripen

The Tomato Tragedy: A Case of Looks Over Flavor

If there’s one fruit that highlights the cost of commercial ripening, it’s the tomato.

Commercially grown tomatoes are often:

- Picked green.

- Ripened with ethylene gas in warehouses.

- Bred for durability and uniform appearance, not taste.

The result? Beautiful red tomatoes that taste…like cardboard. No jokes.

This has led to growing interest in:

- Heirloom varieties (less durable but more flavorful).

- Vine-ripened options (ripened naturally on the plant).

- Local/seasonal produce with shorter transport chains.

Artificial Ripening Agents: A Global Concern

In some parts of the world, especially where regulation is looser, chemical ripening agents like calcium carbide are used instead of ethylene.

Why It’s a Problem:

- Calcium carbide can release arsenic and phosphine, both harmful to human health.

- It causes uneven ripening and poor taste.

- Its use is banned in many countries, but still occurs in informal markets.

Consumers are advised to:

- Wash fruits thoroughly.

- Buy from reputable sources.

- Choose organic or certified produce when possible.

How This Affects You

Understanding how commercial ripening works can help you make smarter choices:

In the Kitchen:

- Buy unripe climacteric fruits and ripen them at home for better control.

- Keep non-climacteric fruits refrigerated once ripe, they won’t improve.

- Store fruits separately to avoid unwanted ethylene exposure.

At the Store:

- Look for vine-ripened or locally grown options when flavor matters.

- Check for ripeness signs, such as color, aroma, and a slight give when pressed (for fruits like mango or avocado).

- Be wary of perfect-looking fruit that feels oddly firm, might be under-ripe or gassed.

The Future: Can We Have the Best of Both Worlds?

New technologies are emerging to strike a better balance between durability and taste:

- Gene-edited fruits with better flavor and longer shelf life.

- Smart packaging that senses ethylene levels.

- Biological coatings that slow ripening naturally.

As consumer demand shifts toward flavor, freshness and transparency, the industry is beginning to rethink ripening as more than just a logistics problem, it’s part of the eating experience.

Final Thoughts from the Biolab desk

Ripening is no longer just a natural process, it’s a managed system designed for efficiency, not always for enjoyment. The more you understand how commercial ripening works, the more control you have over what you eat.

So next time you choose between that green avocado and the slightly soft one? You’ll know what’s really going on.

What are you preferences for fruit? Farm, vendor or supermarket? Let us know in the comments.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BEHIND THE URGES AND CRAVINGS: BIOLOGY OF DRUG ADDICTION

Image
The Power of the Brain and Nervous System The human brain is often considered the most complex organ in the body, controlling everything from involuntary actions like breathing to our most complex behaviors and emotions.  At the heart of this complexity lies the nervous system, a vast network of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate through electrical and chemical signals. This communication is vital not just for basic survival, but also for learning, memory, mood regulation, and decision-making. At its core, the nervous system can be broken down into two main parts, which include, the central nervous system (CNS) , which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS) , made up of nerves that extend throughout the rest of the body. How Neurons Communicate: The Role of Neurotransmitters and the Synaptic Cleft Neurons communicate with each other through specialized connections known as synapses . When a neuron receives an electrical signal, it se...
Read more

THE SILENT COMMUNICATION THROUGH EACH PHYSICAL EXERCISE: BIOLOGY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM DURING YOUR WORKOUT

Image
  It’s the last two minutes into your workout. Your heart is racing, your breath’s quickening, your limbs are moving like they know exactly what to do.  Then maybe, just maybe, you're starting to regret that extra set. Yeah, I know, every person who has set a goal in the gym or workout time has gotten to this point. You started having conversations with yourself and the set on how to sort it out, but before you know it, you've already gone past the rest time or your fitness coach is yelling in your ears to get back on finishing the set. However, in the midst of your troubles, have you ever paused to wonder, what's actually happening inside your body to coordinate all this? So, probably you have forgotten the Biology classes in high school and don't want to remember teacher, b ut let us get to this matter.  What you feel physically during a workout is just the visible part of a much larger biological symphony, and at the center of it is your nervous syste m . Yeah, it...
Read more

FROM SIDEWALK CRACKS TO CORAL REEFS: KENYA'S BIODIVERSITY FROM CITY TO SEA

Image
  When you hear the word biodiversity, what pops into your head? Maybe lions in the Maasai Mara? Or coral reefs in Mombasa? Fair enough, those are definitely part of it. But here’s the thing, biodiversity is literally everywhere. It’s in the mold growing on your leftover ugali. It’s in the weeds pushing through the pavement in downtown Nairobi. It’s in the birds that wake you up before your alarm. Biodiversity just means all the different kinds of life, from plants, animals, insects, fungi, microbes and many more, and how they all interact to keep nature running. So, since it’s World Biodiversity Day, we figured it’s time we had a little talk about just how close biodiversity actually is. Right here in Kenya, stay tuned, you might be surprised. 🧬 First Things First: What is Biodiversity, Anyway? Biodiversity (short for biological diversity) is basically the whole cast of life, from plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and the microscopic weirdos too small to notice, plus h...
Read more