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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5330690/Shoppers-of-

the-future-will-pick-fruit-from-supermarket-shelves.html

Shoppers of the future will 'pick' fruit from supermarket shelves
Supermarket shoppers in the next decade will be able to pick fruit and
vegetables from plants still growing on the shelves, according to a report
into the future of retailing.


By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor
Last Updated: 10:51PM BST 15 May 2009
Hand picking oranges: Shoppers of the future will 'pick' fruit from
supermarket shelves
Produce out of season takes about three or four days to travel from field
to supermarket shelf Photo: GETTY

Instead of buying pre-packaged packs of tomatoes or strawberries, they will
be able to "harvest" as much or as little as they like – introducing the
concept of "harvest by" dates rather than "best before" dates.

The idea has been proposed by Futurelab, a company that helps businesses
predict trends of the future, and was part of a report commissioned by
Sainsbury, the supermarket chain.


Lucy MacLennan, Sainsbury's technical manager, said: "This would completely
change how we sell produce to our customers. It would get rid of best
before dates and allow shoppers to buy the freshest possible fruit and
vegetables."

Currently, produce out of season takes about three or four days to travel
from field to supermarket shelf, but under the futuristic plan the plants
would be grown in hydroponic pods.

These are special mini greenhouses that allow plants to grow without the
need for soil; they grow in a special nutrient-enriched solution, cutting
down on pesticides.

The pods would be very light and would allow the farmer to transport the
plant from his farm to the supermarket while it is still growing.

Ms MacLennan said that shoppers picking their own crops in-store would,
realistically, not happen for another ten years at least.

"It could cut right down on wastage and packaging. It would make not just
environmental sense, but economic sense too so we are looking at it
seriously," she said.

The produce most likely to be sold this way would be light-weight crops
such as peppers, strawberries, raspberries, beans, peas, tomatoes and
mushrooms.