Office fruit fans are being encouraged to swap one of their everyday items for one carrying the Fairtrade mark as part of a fortnight aimed at getting consumers to rethink their shopping.

Fairtrade Fortnight kicked off this week and is themed The Big Swap, with particular emphasis on bananas and other fresh fruit.

The Fairtrade Foundation hopes to achieve one million and one swaps over the fortnight, an effort backed by major retailers.

It estimates that if all bananas sold in the UK were Fairtrade, they would generate an annual premium of more than £19 million.

In a YouGov survey commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation, 42 per cent of people said they were happy to make Fairtrade bananas one of their everyday swaps during Fairtrade Fortnight, while 31 per cent said they would be willing to do the same with other fruit.

Bananas contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals and are a great source of natural energy, making them a great snack to enjoy in the office.

Office fruit news:

Extracts of a green and knobbly fruit grown on tropical vines appear to have properties which block breast cancer, say scientists.

Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd or wild cucumber, is grown in Asia, Africa and South America.

Researchers found the key ingredients of the fruit interfered with chemical pathways involved in cancer growth, effectively encouraging cancer cells to kill themselves off.

However, although promising as an anti-cancer agent, further trials are still needed to assess the fruit’s impact on cancer, said the study published in the Cancer Research journal.

Study co-author Dr Rajesh Agarwal from the University of Colorado, added that there was no proof eating lots of bitter melon would offer any cancer protection.

Separate research published earlier this year also suggested that pomegranates could help prevent certain types of breast cancer cells from developing thanks to a naturally occurring chemical, ellagic acid.

The study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, stated that ellagic acid can reduce the risk of the three-quarters of breast cancers which are hormone-dependent and fuelled by oestrogen.

Scientists have developed two new varieties of blackcurrant that need less chilling in winter as concern deepens over the effects of climate change on certain types of fruit.

Most varieties of blackcurrant, apple and pear need a long spell of cold weather below seven degrees C to fruit reliably the following summer, reports the Royal Horticultural Society.

However, the trend of mild winters which are forecasted to continue is causing serious concern among growers and office fruit fans alike.

Now research by the Scottish Crops Research Institute, funded by Ribena manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, has bred two new blackcurrant varieties, provisionally named Ben Vane and Ben Klibreck.

The new varieties, which at the moment are only available to commercial growers, crop more reliably even after mild winters.

An international forum known as ClimaFruit is also currently working to safeguard the future of the multi-million pound soft fruit industry after future raspberry production was found to be threatened by climate change.

Raspberry production alone earns Scotland’s farmers around £12 million a year.

Office fruit box news:

With further blasts of snow, ice and generally miserable weather forecast across the UK, summer may as well be a million miles away.

But for fruit lover Rosie Prince, writing for the Telegraph, tropical produce is one way to get a burst of sunshine without shelling out for a holiday abroad.

In the depths of winter, when the choice of home-grown fruit is so limited, good-quality mangoes and pineapples are a source of huge pleasure, notes Ms Prince.

"Aside from a reminder that the food world is not flat, a glimpse of exotica is a reminder that the sun may not be shining where we live but it does somewhere else," she adds.

But not only do tropical fruits taste good, they are also rich in essential vitamins and minerals.

Pineapples are rich in Vitamin C and B as well as being a good source of manganese and thiamine, which is central to energy production and antioxidant defences.

Meanwhile, mangos contain vitamins A, C and E as well as selenium to help keep the skin and organs healthy.

Office fruit news:

The importance of eating a balanced diet including plenty of fruit to help fight the national obesity epidemic has been highlighted by a leading doctor.

Research by the University of Oxford showed the number of deaths related to obesity has climbed drastically in the last decade.

The study found that obesity in Great Britain has almost trebled over the 25 years, with 24 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women now classified as obese.

Now Dean Marshall, chairman of the British Medical Association’s Scottish General Practitioner’s Committee, has stressed the importance of striking early in the battle against the bulge.

Mr Marshall said he was concerned by the increased numbers of people with obesity, which also impacted on other associated conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Low calorie diets – which can be aided by swapping junk food snacks for a healthy piece of fruit – are shown to be of greater benefit for helping overweight Brits lose weight than conventional diets.

A twelve-month trial carried out by the Centre for Obesity Research and Epidemiology found that people with a body mass index (BMI) at or above 35, who consumed 600 calories less than the recommended daily levels, lost an average of 31 kilograms.

Office fruit news:

The importance of eating a balanced diet including plenty of fruit to help fight the national obesity epidemic has been highlighted by a leading doctor.

Research by the University of Oxford showed the number of deaths related to obesity has climbed drastically in the last decade.

The study found that obesity in Great Britain has almost trebled over the 25 years, with 24 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women now classified as obese.

Now Dean Marshall, chairman of the British Medical Association’s Scottish General Practitioner’s Committee, has stressed the importance of striking early in the battle against the bulge.

Mr Marshall said he was concerned by the increased numbers of people with obesity, which also impacted on other associated conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Low calorie diets – which can be aided by swapping junk food snacks for a healthy piece of fruit – are shown to be of greater benefit for helping overweight Brits lose weight than conventional diets.

A twelve-month trial carried out by the Centre for Obesity Research and Epidemiology found that people with a body mass index (BMI) at or above 35, who consumed 600 calories less than the recommended daily levels, lost an average of 31 kilograms.

Office fruit box news:

Mini watermelons around the size of a grapefruit have gone on sale in UK supermarkets.

Brazilian grower and exporter Itaueira is currently trialling the new variety of fruit, and selected Waitrose stores have been receiving several pallets a week between them, fresh info reports.

The fruits weigh only two to three kilograms and are the result of growers cross-breeding qualities which occur naturally in different varieties of watermelon.

It is hoped the smaller watermelons may appeal to shoppers who enjoy the fruit but often do not want to purchase a whole watermelon, which weigh on average ten to 15 kilograms.

Export manager Adriana Prado told freshinfo: "The trial is going very well and Waitrose wants more but we only have one hectare a week to offer at the moment."

Ms Prado added that by September, Itaueira will be able to send 3,000 boxes a week, but until then it will be a very niche offer.

Researchers are testing whether mobile phones could be used to encourage people to eat more office fruit.

Andrea Grimes, a PhD student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has created a platform known as EatWell which she hopes will steer people away from junk food snacks like chocolate and crisps and turn them towards a healthy piece of fruit.

The software enables mobile users to record and share audio stories of how they have successfully overcome temptation in an effort to live a healthier lifestyle, with the aim of encouraging others to do the same.

"I wanted to make a system that was able to harness the community-held expertise, not just bringing in outside expertise," said Ms Grimes.

"With mobile phones, I saw an opportunity to use technology to make that information even more visible."

Initial tests suggest EatWell may be a success. A pilot study showed that participants felt a connection to others taking part in the scheme, and improved their diets accordingly.

The NHS recommends that people should eat five portions of fresh fruit and veg a day for optimum health.

Office fruit box news:

A healthy diet including plenty of fruit can be beneficial for couples hoping to conceive.

Yvonne Bishop-Weston, nutritionist for First Response and Foods for Life, advised couples hoping to get pregnant to examine their diets and lifestyles.

For men, she recommended that eating eight portions of organic fruit and veg a day, in addition to an antioxidant supplement, can help to boost fertility.
Ms Bishop-Weston said that improving male fertility was a factor often ignored in the conception period.

"Male factors account for about 30-35 per cent of cases of fertility problems and nutritional therapy has shown a good success rate," she said.

Ms Bishop-Weston also said that women attempting to conceive should try and eat a "rainbow" of different fruits, as each different colour carries a different nutrient.

Other factors such as maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough sleep and reducing stress levels can also help to speed things up, she said.