On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 13:03:58 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

>
>
>That apple you just bought might be a year old – but does it matter?
>
>The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and as we slide
>fully into fall, the shift in season means one very important thing
>for foodies: It's apple season.
>
>But did you know that the apples on the shelves of your supermarket
>might be nearly a year old? Here's why — and why it doesn’t
>necessarily mean you should panic.
>
>Lauren Sucher, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration,
>confirmed to TODAY.com that apples on store shelves aren’t always as
>fresh as they seem.
>
>“A number of commodities, including apples, may be stored to extend
>their availability for marketing,” she said. “In controlled
>temperatures and low humidity, apples can be stored for months before
>being consumed.”
>
>According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, freshly
>picked apples left untreated will last a few weeks before they turn
>soft and rot, so they’re often stored under temperature-controlled
>conditions that allow them to last up to 10 months. Once they’re
>removed from storage, however, the clock starts ticking again.
>
>“To slow the proverbial sands of time, some fruit distributors treat
>their apple bins with a gaseous compound, 1-methylcyclopropene,” the
>USDA states. “It extends the fruits’ post-storage quality by blocking
>ethylene, a colorless gas that naturally regulates ripening and
>aging.”
>
>The same chemical is used to lessen the “de-greening of broccoli,
>browning of lettuce, and bitterness in carrots,” according to the
>USDA.
>
>But even if this fact is surprising, it shouldn’t be scary. Although
>antioxidants and taste may wane over time, experts tell TODAY.com that
>such treatments are perfectly safe.
>
>For starters, off-farm facilities that store food for consumption in
>the U.S. must register with the FDA, and must comply with related
>safety requirements, Sucher says.
>
>Prolonging the life of produce isn’t a new concept, either. “Before
>the current technology, people had root cellars to extend the shelf
>life and availability of food commodities such as apples,” Sucher
>added. “This common, widespread practice allows consumers to eat a
>wider variety of produce items for more months of the year now than in
>decades past.”
>
>Phil Lempert, a consumerologist who’s also known as the Supermarket
>Guru, told TODAY.com via email that while apples can exist in cold
>storage for a year before being shipped to supermarkets, their shelf
>life once they’re in stores usually is “only days to a couple of
>weeks.”
>
>Martin Lindstrom, author of “Truth and Lies About What We Buy,” told
>TODAY.com it’s more common for international supermarkets to sell
>apples that have been picked more than a year earlier, but that that's
>less often the case in the United States.
>
>Of course, not all harvested apples go into long-term storage. Many
>are delivered to fresh markets. In addition, not all apples from
>storage appear in the produce section. They may be used to make
>juices, frozen pies and other types of processed foods, Sucher says.
>
>But even if extending the life of apples is safe, a store-bought apple
>may not be the healthiest option.
>
>“A fresh-picked apple is always going to have the optimal nutrient
>profile of vitamins and minerals,” said Madelyn Fernstrom, a diet and
>nutrition editor for TODAY. “Apples are especially rich in
>polyphenols, a type of antioxidant.”
>
>Those antioxidants appear to disappear over time. The website Food
>Renegade cites research that claims a year-old apple may retain close
>to none of its antioxidant properties.
>
>Fernstrom said there may be truth to the correlation between age and
>decreasing antioxidant value, but stated the use of ethylene doesn’t
>appear to be the reason for it.
>
>“A recent study suggests that the amount of antioxidants in apples
>might drop with extended storage," she added, "because these
>antioxidants are found in the peel, not the flesh of the apple.”
>
>Although it’s often difficult to determine which supermarket apples
>are freshest until after they’re bought, Lindstrom said some markets
>are working to provide better information about each apple. “Some
>retailers are now offering ‘footprints,’ telling [shoppers] when it
>was grown and when it was picked,” he added.
>
>And if you don’t want to play that kind of guessing game? “Your best
>bet is to buy apples seasonally and locally,” Fernstrom said.
>
>http://tinyurl.com/o2ujgo7

A lot of BS. Apples are grown in both hemispheres and air frighted .