Washout year may have hit nutrition and taste of UK fruit and veg

Heavy rainfall and lack of sunshine is likely to have reduced taste and goodness of UK-grown produce, academic warnsYou may have noticed British-grown fruit and vegetables getting smaller, or having blighted and discoloured skin – all consequences of 2012's sustained bad weather. But a leading scientist is now warning that the mis-shapen produce is only half the story: it could also be less healthy and less tasty as a result.Heavy rainfall is likely to have washed away nutrients in the soil, while the lack of sunshine could have adversely affected sugar levels in growing produce, says Professor Mike Gooding, the head of agricultural policy and development at Reading University.Interviewed for BBC Radio 4's Farming Today, Gooding said: "There are some direct effects of things like high rainfall and also low sunshine on the content of produce, which would include vegetables but also cereals and fruit and orchard crops in ways that can be picked up by consumers."The nutrients available to the plant might well be reduced. We do know that rainfall, for example, will often cause leaching and loss of nutrients from the soil, and at certain times that will certainly reduce the amount of protein that ends up in the produce."Gooding said protein was related to a number of other important nutrients such as iron, copper and zinc. "The other thing you get is that with prolonged overcast conditions, especially near the harvest, you'll get reduced sugar and soluble carbohydrates in the pr...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Farming News guardian.co.uk Food & drink Life and style British food and drink Fruit Environment Agriculture Science Source Type: news