The 'soft citrus' fruit served up by supermarkets is popular for all the wrong reasons

Once it became clear to citrus growers that the British hate to peel anything and can’t face pips in any number, efforts were concentrated on producing easy-to-eat fruit for a nation that must be strong-armed into eating its five a day. The fresh fruit eventually arrived in wooden trays, precious little gifts individually wrapped in tissue paper. They were expensive – there were no bogof deals then. But the mandarins, tangerines and satsumas in today’s fruit section of Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrisons and Asda are on permanent special offer. The most irritating thing about the convenience fruit mountains, however, is not only the manipulation of the skin, but the use of pesticides. When the government-backed Pesticides Residue Committee (PRC) last tested soft citrus in 2008, 24 out of 24 samples were found to contain residues of agricultural chemicals. Nineteen of the samples were from outside the EU, five from the EU and 10 out of the total 24 contained residues of three separate chemicals.

Peel is not a barrier to residues. The PRC admits that only 5 per cent of the residues will be found in the flesh of the fruit, so thank heavens few people eat the peel. But while individual, licensed pesticides are deemed safe (until they are quietly withdrawn), cocktails of pesticides are believed to be dangerous. One reason why fruit trees are sprayed is to reduce the risk of diseases that leave marks on the skin. We pay a high price for perfection.

Source: The Telegraph, 5 December 2009
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/seasonal-food-and-drink/6729333…