Did you ever wonder how grocery stores keep all that produce fresh and ready for sale? It actually requires a lot of very careful work and planning to keep such a large variety of produce fresh and safe for consumption.
But how do supermarkets keep all those vegetables fresh? Grocery stores use strict cleaning procedures, optimally protective packaging, cold storage, food grade treatments such as waxing, and close monitoring to keep vegetables fresh.
Read on for everything you need to know about how grocery stores keep producing fresh.
How do Grocery Stores keep vegetables fresh?
There are a lot of steps to keeping produce fresh for as long as possible on grocery store shelves. This process starts right after harvest, actually, when the product is prepared for transport and its life until it shows up in your kitchen.
Keeping produce fresh requires a lot of steps.
Cleaning
The first thing that happens after harvest is professional cleaning of produce. This eliminates dirt, dust, debris, contaminants, bacteria, and pests that might negatively affect the quality of the product over the course of its life or contribute to early ripening.
This is typically done at a professional cleaning and sanitizing plant so grocery stores can be assured that they are selling only the safest, cleanest produce. (That said, you should always wash your produce before using it, just in case.)
Packaging
Adequate packaging is key to keeping certain vegetables for longer than they would otherwise keep on a store shelf. This is done at a packing house typically, and may include covering certain produce with wax or other preservatives to extend shelf life.
Waxing is done on many fruits and veggies in order to protect the skin, prevent water loss, delay decay, and make them look better. Frequently waxed fruits and veggies include avocados, cucumbers, apples, potatoes, bell peppers, citrus, tomatoes, and eggplant.
Processed produce is then packed carefully in boxes and crates that will protect them during transport. Handling produce correctly will prevent damage and decay and extend the freshness of the vegetables.
Adequate packaging also prevents contamination with other flavors or odors and prevents temperature fluctuations.
Storage
Storage is crucial for keeping vegetables fresh (which you may have realized even in your own refrigerator). Produce is kept in cooling facilities before and after packaging and transport in order to maintain maximal freshness.
Cooling produce slows down the decaying process, which keeps your produce fresher and longer.
Storage areas also have to be free of pests, dirt, and contaminants such as mold or fungi. Produce is also processed to avoid cross-contamination between shipments.
Transportation
Transporting fresh produce must be done as quickly as possible to ensure freshness. A significant portion of the products we consume in the U.S. is grown outside the country, so shippers need to optimize transportation to achieve freshness, which includes bringing produce through customs controls.
Veggies need to be packaged correctly to survive this process, and shippers must have clean trucks to avoid cross-contamination.
Store Storage
When produce arrives at the grocery store, it will be immediately stocked on shelves and excess produce will be stored in large coolers. Sometimes it is also cleaned again before stocking.
If a store has too many of a certain item or expects to sell the items slowly, it may store these items in cold storage to delay ripening.
Display
Produce is displayed according to what each item requires for optimal freshness. This is why you will see that some veggies are refrigerated while others are kept at room temperature.
Many grocery stores pull refrigerated produce off shelves at night and store it in coolers overnight, then restock and rotate the product for the next day.
Produce that is overripe or close to rotting will be removed immediately to prevent fruit flies. Some of this is made into juice or cut fruit.
Fresh produce that will wilt (such as lettuce) is sprayed with water regularly since they cannot get water from the ground to stay fresh.
Other veggies and fruits have skin that retains moisture and they don’t need to be sprayed.
What are three guidelines to follow when shopping for fresh vegetables?
- Don’t buy anything that looks bruised or has cuts, mold, decay, or insect bites. These might contribute to ripening and rotting. (That said, misshapen produce will still taste delicious and you shouldn’t worry about veggies looking funny if they look fresh.)
- Make sure you shop at a grocery store that is known for keeping its produce fresh. Not all grocery stores are the same when it comes to providing fresh produce.
- Only buy what you can eat in the next couple of days. This will reduce food waste.
How do you store vegetables long term without refrigeration?
It depends on the vegetable. Some veggies will last for much longer without refrigeration (onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots) than others (some herbs, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, peppers).
You can store most veggies in a cool, dark place, but make sure there is some air circulation to delay ripening. Don’t store veggies in a closed container or ziploc bag. If you have them in a container, keep the lid off.
What is the most sprayed vegetable?
Strawberries and spinach have had the highest amount of trace pesticides in recent years. In fact, over 75% of non-organic produce contains pesticide residue. Organic produce does not contain trace pesticides.
Other products with high amounts of pesticide residue is kale, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, and grapes.
It is a good idea to wash all produce thoroughly before using it to reduce the amount of trace pesticides you consume.
What vegetables have the least amount of pesticide?
If you are looking for veggies that contain a smaller load of pesticides or preservatives, go for avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, and papaya.
You can also opt for only organic produce, which is grown without pesticides at all. Produce sold as organic must be certified to be grown without pesticides. (It is still a good idea to wash organic produce in case there are contaminants, dust, or dirt.)
Which fresh vegetables do not require refrigeration?
Many veggies last a long time without any refrigeration, so they are kept on store shelves until they are sold. The following vegetables do not require refrigeration:
- Garlic.
- Onions.
- Potatoes.
- Tomatoes.
- Winter squash
- Some hearty herbs
Why do grocery stores cover potatoes at night?
Grocery stores cover potatoes at night because If potatoes are exposed to light for long periods, they might develop a greenish hue.
This doesn’t really affect the nutrition of the potato, but some green spots might have a bitter flavor. You can remove these parts before using the potato, but they are safe to eat.
How do you increase the shelf life of fresh vegetables?
To increase the shelf life of fresh vegetables, you need to keep the product at a consistent cool temperature to delay the ripening process.
If there are fluctuations in temperature, this may damage the product. Overnight cold storage helps keep vegetables fresh.
It is also important to monitor humidity. Some vegetables require high humidity to prevent wilting, though others will mold or rot in humid conditions.
Produce also needs to be carefully handled to prevent damage, which might contribute to decay. Keep veggies clean and away from other dirty or rotting produce.
Certain varieties of produce last longer than others, and scientists are working to develop food with the longest possible shelf life
How old is grocery store produce?
All of these processes allow grocery stores to make products available at all times of the year, regardless of when it is in season. In addition, it allows grocery stores to sell produce that was grown across the globe.
Some grocery store produce is as much as 6-12 months old.
If you are concerned about buying old produce, opt for organic whenever possible, or buy produce at farmers markets that will sell fresher items.
Conclusion
Grocery stores sell a huge variety of fruits and veggies in the US, a fact that it is easy to forget. Many of us are used to being able to find fresh veggies in the dead of winter or to find produce that isn’t grown in the country at all (think bananas).
In order to provide such a wide array of fresh and beautiful products that also tastes ok and provides adequate nutrition, grocery stores need to work hard to keep produce fresh from the moment of harvest to the moment of sale.
References
https://fruitgrowers.com/how-does-produce-get-to-the-grocery-store