The Hamas government has barred much of Gaza's fruit imports from Israel, citing a need to cultivate local Palestinian agriculture and for "resistance" against the Jewish state.
 
The ban is opposed by Gazan produce traders who fear a squeeze on supplies and price hikes in the poor coastal enclave, which has a largely black market economy and lacks viable trade with Egypt, its other neighbor. Local growers however said the move would help them.

With the exception of bananas and apples, Gaza is no longer admitting fruit from Israel, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday. The ban affects at least seven kinds of fruit and, in terms of sales, constitutes around a 50% cut in imports whose 2011 value the ministry put at $26 million.
 
Tahseen Al-Saqqa, the ministry's director of marketing, said the move was in part a response to what he described as Israel's refusal to allow the export, through its border with Gaza, of staple Palestinian fruit like grapes and guavas.
 
"The Palestinian farmer is suffering because all doors to export have been closed," Saqqa said.  The charge was denied by Israel, which limits traffic in and out of Gaza and whose dealings with Palestinians there are often circuitous given long-running hostilities with Islamist Hamas.
 
"I know of no request to export agriculture products from Gaza that has been refused," said Guy Inbar, spokesman for the division in Israel's Defense Ministry which liaises with the Palestinian territories.
 
Price of war
Gaza fruit importer Jaber Al-Shanty said the Hamas government ban was "irresponsible and unrealistic" as it overlooked the losses to hundreds of Palestinians whose livelihood depends on marketing the fruit.
 
"The local product is not nearly enough" to offset the shortfall, he said. "What do we have in large quantities, other than guava?"
 
Shanty said he and other importers had made advance payments to Israeli suppliers that would now be difficult to claim back.  Hikmat Abu Al-Qombuz, another importer, predicted spiraling fruit prices - which Gaza, most of whose 1.6 million Palestinians depend on aid, can ill afford.
 
Gaza dates and guava grower Ibrahim Al-Shaer, 52, said the move would help farmers by raising prices. But he admitted some imports from Israel remained vital.  "Israeli fruits compete with our produce in the market and they push down the prices. The government should allow imports at a reasonable level so the prices of our fruits do not go down sharply," Shaer said as he stood in his field in Mawasi in southern Gaza.
 
Since the import ban went into effect on Friday, the price of peaches has doubled to NIS 8 ($2) a kilo, while dates were selling at NIS 11 ($2.81) a kilo, up from NIS 7.  Saqqa said the Hamas government would crack down on any Gazans deemed to be gouging fruit prices, and urged Palestinians to view the hardship through the prism of their struggle against Israel.
 
"We are people under blockade and we should have the culture of resistance," he said. "Why should someone have all kinds of fruits on his table?"
 
Hamas won a Palestinian ballot in 2006, and had an uneasy alliance with the Western-backed rival Palestinian faction Fatah until they fought a brief civil war in Gaza a year later. Under Hamas rule since, Gaza has suffered an often grinding embargo by Israel and Egypt, alleviated by goods smuggled in through tunnels from the Egyptian Sinai.
 
Israel, which fought a three-week war with Gaza in 2008-2009, eased overland travel restrictions in mid-2010. Hamas has urged Egypt to open up its border with Gaza since Islamists swept to power in Cairo this year but the call has not been met.

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London: Eating lots of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables can cut the chance of having a heart attack by a quarter, according to a new research. Swedish researchers examined diets of 30,000 women and found that those with the highest antioxidant intake were 20 percent less likely to have suffered a heart attack than those with the lowest intake, the Telegraph reported.

Antioxidants are naturally occurring substances which mop up molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), better known as ‘free radicals’. These prompt inflammation, can damage cells, and have been implicated for triggering cancer and heart disease.

The study which included Swedish women aged 49 to 83 found that older women who ate seven fruit and vegetable portions a day, were between 20 and 29 percent less likely to have a heart attack over a decade, than those who ate just 2.4.

Women who ate a lot of fruit and vegetables also tended to eat less saturated fat. When the researchers adjusted for intake of fats, the difference in heart attack rates rose to 29 percent.

Lead researcher Dr Alicja Wolk from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said their research contrasted with tests of single antioxidant supplements, which have largely failed to find evidence that they cut heart attacks or mortality rates. The study was published in the American Journal of Medicine.

PTI

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Eating a diet rich in antioxidants - mainly derived from fruits and vegetables - could cut the chance of a heart attack by a quarter, according to Swedish researchers. The results contrast with studies that suggest taking antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin A, C and E pills, has no effect. The researchers believe that different antioxidant compounds could work together to protect the body in a much more powerful way than taking single large doses can achieve.

Specifically, they found that older women who ate seven fruit and vegetable portions a day were between 20 and 29 per cent less likely to have a heart attack over a decade than those who ate just 2.4, the Telegraph reported. Antioxidants are naturally occurring substances, which mop up molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), better known as 'free radicals.' These prompt inflammation, can damage cells, and have been implicated for triggering cancer and heart disease.

The researchers assessed antioxidant intake by looking at the diets of 30,000 Swedish women aged 49 to 83 at the start of the study Those with the highest antioxidant intake were 20 per cent less likely to have suffered a heart attack than those with the lowest intake, after statistically adjusting for a host of factors like differences in age, weight, and whether they smoked or exercised.

Women who ate a lot of fruit and vegetables also tended to eat less saturated fat. When the researchers adjusted for intake of fats, the difference in heart attack rates rose to 29 per cent. The study did not look at overall mortality. Dr Alicja Wolk from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, who was the lead researcher, said their research contrasted with tests of single antioxidant supplements, which have largely failed to find evidence that they cut heart attacks or mortality rates. The results were published in the American Journal of Medicine. (ANI)

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WASHINGTON — The US fruit giant Dole announced it has reached a deal to sell its worldwide packaged food and Asia fresh produce businesses to Japanese trading house Itochu for nearly $1.7 billion. The $1.685 billion deal is still subject to approval from shareholders and regulatory authorities in "multiple countries" the company said in a statement, released on Monday.

"Cash proceeds from the transaction will be used by Dole for debt reduction, to pay deal-related expenses, and for restructuring and other corporate purposes," it said. Dole Worldwide Packaged Foods produces canned fruit, frozen fruit and fruit juice, as well as fruit parfaits and other snacks. Dole Asia Fresh Produce grows, sources, transports and distributes fresh fruits and vegetables.

The combined revenue of the two businesses totaled approximately $2.5 billion in 2011, Dole said.
"We are realizing a premium valuation for our worldwide packaged foods and Asia fresh produce businesses and will retain a strong fresh produce business that has increased financial flexibility to grow," CEO David DeLorenzo said. Dole will retain its vast operations elsewhere in the world, which generated some $4.2 billion in revenues in 2011, the company said. Itochu said last week it would set up a new company in Tokyo to purchase the Dole operations, subject to a finalized deal. Itochu is one of Japan's biggest trading houses, dealing in everything from textiles and machinery to chemicals and food.

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Persimmons are the edible yellow-orange to red-orange fruit of several species of trees. The name is derived from Powhatan, the Algonquin language: putchamin, pasiminan or pessimin. Fall is the season for this generally tomato-shaped fruit that also grows in sizes ranging from an acorn to a pumpkin.

The fruit grows on trees in the genus Diospyros, a word that stems from the ancient Greek words Dios and pyros, meaning “divine fruit”, or more literally, “Wheat of Zeus”. While the persimmon is believed to have originated in China, one variety of persimmon is native to North America. As a sub-tropical plant, it grows best in Georgia, North Carolina and California, though it is found from Connecticut to the Gulf of Mexico, stretching into the middle south and up into the Great Plains.

About 90 percent of persimmons in the marketplace are a variety called Hachiya. This version lends itself to a yellow-orange tint and looks like a longish tomato. The other commercially grown variety of persimmon is Fuyu, which is bright orange, shaped like a round tomato, and can be eaten like an apple. When eaten fresh, persimmons are often bitten whole like apple or cut into slices.

When Europeans first tried the persimmons they discovered on our shores, they found it bitter and astringent until local Native people explained that persimmons would not become palatable and sweet until they ripen well into October. To be ripe, this means almost mushy with a taste like sweet apricots. Their taste has also been compared with mango, guava and some even say a combination of apple and apricot.

Eaten fresh, dried, raw or cooked, the persimmon imparts a delicate, sweet flavor. They are delicious in jams and chutneys, but they can also be diced and mixed with pico de gallo fixings for an interesting salsa.

The best time to gather them, as with chestnuts, is when they fall from the tree.  It doesn’t hurt to help them a bit by shaking the tree. In 1540, a Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto, said he had seen Indians along the Mississippi River eating a bread made of prunes. Actually, the persimmons had been dried and pounded into a dough of sorts.

In his classic field guide, “Stalking the Wild Asparagus”, Euell Gibbons calls it The Sugar Plum Tree. He declares the best thing about them is they are available long after other wild fruits are long gone and forgotten because they often ripen well into winter where he was able to find them on a snowy hike even in mid-January. He also raved about the pleasant flavor of a tea, full of vitamin C, made from the persimmon leaves that can be picked in summer and dried in a warm attic.

As a commercial fruit, they have never really caught on in this country except in areas where they grow profusely. When ripe, they are almost mushy, and it is hard for markets to handle. They are more widely available at farmer’s markets. Many fruits and vegetables are often picked and shipped unripe to give a good shelf appearance and longer shelf life. This just doesn’t work well for persimmons. If you can get some ripe and eat right away, that is best, or use their pulp in a number of recipes and baked goods. Try this one as an unusual alternative to pumpkin or squash breads.

Persimmon Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 persimmons, pureed into pulp

½ cup softened (not melted) butter

1 cup sugar (any, or what you use for substitute)

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 tablespoon water

2 cups flour (one can be whole wheat if preferred)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

*nuts

Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy, add vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Now add the persimmon pulp and water.   Use a separate bowl to sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. *At this point you might want to add ½ cup of ground walnuts, hazelnuts or other. Mix batter well until smooth and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool, turn out on a rack before cutting.

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An African fruit is giving diamonds a run for their money. Tiny glittering berries belonging to the plant Pollia condensata have been labeled the shiniest living things in the world, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. But it's more than their brilliance that makes these tropical fruits, native to Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda in particular, noteworthy. The plant is made up of special layer of cells that reflects light to give the fruit its iridescent hues - a phenomenon known as structural coloration. "The optics are impressive," Silvia Vignolini, co-author of the study, told Nature. "There are no previous examples of this in nature."

Structural coloration is quite common in the animal kingdom - the tail feathers of a peacock are shining examples. But this is the first time that the process has been documented in plants. P. condensata's dazzling color rarely changes either, since it has no pigments that might fade and no pulp that might lead to rotting. The irresistible-looking fruit is, in fact, resistible - at least in terms of diet. It has no nutritional value and cannot be eaten.

Beverly Glover, co-author of the study, believes that the bright berries entice birds who then decorate their nests with the fruit. "This strategy is brilliant as the plant does not waste any precious energy on providing food for birds," Glover told Nature, explaining that the plant is able to attract birds without actually making tasty flesh.

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hat fruits are the best medicine is a wellknown fact. We also know that a cup of fruit juice a day is sure to guarantee a clear complexion.

How about a massage with a fruit pulp or a fruit facial? Fruit facials have been there for at least a decade now. But with people getting more wary of effect of chemicals on the skin, a majority of them are now resorting to using something from their own kitchen. What better way to pamper your skin than with pure stuff which is free of toxins and not harmful to your skin? Besides the fact that they hydrate and rejuvenate your skin, the very smell of a fruit on your face is quite de-stressing. Unlike the chemical beauty treatments, fruits are cost-effective, natural and also bring a visible difference. Here are a few fruits and their properties, choose what suits you best!

Banana: This is one fruit that's abundantly available in India all through the year. We know it's a good source of iron, magnesium and potassium and helps reduce menstrual cramps. The effect of banana on skin too is not something that can be ignored. Bananas are rich in vitamin A, B and E and hence works as an anti-aging agent. A fresh mashed banana facial can do wonders for your skin.

Lemon: Lemon juice is an important ingredient in most Indian recipes. This is also a fruit of all seasons and almost always finds place on your kitchen shelf or refrigerator. With its vitamin C content, its juice will keep your skin beautiful. A glass of warm water with a tsp of honey and a dash of lemon juice on an empty stomach every morning is a great skin cleanser. With its astringent properties, it can be used to lighten the skin tone and also diminish acne scars. Rub the inside of a lemon peel on your elbow remove dark spots. Mix lemon and honey and use it as a natural bleach on your skin.

Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away is clichéd, but its health benefits are undisputable. Apple's antioxidant property prevents cell and tissue damage. Studies by nutritionists have shown that apples contain abundant amounts of elastin and collagen that help keep the skin young. Applying a mixture of mashed apple, honey, rose water and oatmeal can act as a great exfoliating mask on your skin.

Orange: Rich in vitamin C that improves skin texture. Like apple, orange too contains collagen that slows skin aging process. Rub the insides of orange on your skin to tighten the skin. Oranges can be dried and powdered and used as a natural scrub. Like lemon, oranges too help clear skin blemishes.

Papaya: The benefits of this fruit on skin have perhaps been talked about since the time of our ancestors. Papaya is rich in antioxidants and contain a special enzyme called papain that can kill dead cells and cure skin impurities. A glass of papaya milk or just applying the flesh of papaya on your skin can do wonders to your skin.

Mango: Rightly called the king of fruits for not just its taste but also for health benefits. The soft pulpy fruit has an amazing effect on skin too. Rich in vitamin-A and rich antioxidants, it fights against skin aging, regenerates skin cells and restores the elasticity of skin.

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Srinagar, Sep 9: With Jammu and Kashmir Government doing little to keep a check on food adulteration in the Valley markets, artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables is being continuously carried out here with chemicals like Ethylene and Calcium Carbide sold out in retail and wholesale. An on-the-spot assessment by Greater Kashmir has revealed that chemicals are being heavily used for the ripening of fruits as well as vegetables in different markets with Fruit Mandi, Parimpora, remaining the epicenter of the phenomenon. Pertinently, micro markets of the Valley get fruit and vegetable supplies from the Fruit Mandi Parimpora.

The artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables is not only undertaken at Parimpora Mandi but wholesalers sell out chemicals to retailers as well, who later undertake the process at their own stores.  Almost every dealer at Parimpora Mandi has two stores. In one store there are those fruits or vegetables which are already ripened by the wholesaler and are sold at higher prices than the raw fruits. The retailers have two choices: either to take ripened fruits by paying surplus money or take raw fruits or vegetables with packets of chemicals.

This reporter, pretending to be a retail fruit seller, confirmed from one of the storekeepers at the Parimpora Mandi about the process of artificial ripening. The storekeeper was courteous enough to divulge the whole phenomenon of artificial ripening. He said there are two types of fruits available in the stores. “If you have to take ripened fruits, the process of ripening is already done. But if you want raw fruit we will recommend some chemicals like carbate (sic) for it. You will see the miracle,” he told this reporter, in a typical Kashmiri accent.

The storekeeper disclosed that the process had been taking place for a long. “As far as market checks are concerned, officials have never visited us. No one infiltrates into our stores,” he said.

Experts told Greater Kashmir that use of calcium carbine and ethylene are dangerous for health and can lead to severe ailments and disease outbreaks. “Calcium carbide is used in industries for welding purposes. Now that it is being used for ripening of fruits the phenomenon can lead to severe ailments in neurology, skin and lungs,” said Dr Ghulam Hassan, Assistant Professor, Fruit Sciences, Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) Kashmir.

He said the use of chemicals for the artificial ripening of fruits is banned under Article  
 Article 44-AA of National Horticulture Board. “Violation of article is dealt with six months of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1000,” he said.

Dr Sajad Hussain, Senior Research Fellow, Pollination Center, SKUAST, said the use of the chemicals for ripening can also cause damage to eyes, skin and lungs. “Although Ethylene is not that dangerous but it also adulterates the fruit because the chemicals mature it before natural growth. When these chemicals mix up with the water of the fruit it produces phosphates and arsenic which are very dangerous for health,” he said.

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The push for school cafeterias to offer more fruits and vegetables offers a welcome development in child nutrition. Let's face it, the past few years have not been good ones for many cafeterias. Students often complain of bland-tasting food as cafeteria workers adjust to federal and state mandates regarding the food they prepare. These changes may intend to improve nutrition, but many students argue they simply make the food not as tasty.

Their parents often reminisce fondly about the cafeteria food of yore. It may never equal mom or grandmom's home cooking, but many adults can recall certain dishes for which a particular cafeteria was known. When some of these parents or grandparents visit younger students at elementary schools, they may even agree with their children about the quality today.

But fruits and vegetables certainly need to play a key role in school nutrition. Students might prefer burgers and fries, but they eat enough fast food outside the school walls. For one meal a day the schools can offer some healthy choices to students. Hopefully students will discover some of these fruits and vegetables aren't so bad and ask for them away from school. In the best scenario, an entire family might see their eating habits improve thanks to food choices children see at school.

Other aspects of the new federal guidelines include more whole grain-rich foods, low-fat or fat-free milk and less saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars and sodium. The last group of reductions could be blamed for some food not tasting as good, but sometimes a bit of taste must be surrendered to create healthier food. The challenge is for cafeteria workers to prepare food that not only is healthier but also tastes appealing as well.

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Learn about the amazing array of 18th-century varieties grown at Wordsworth House and how to get the best out of your own fruit crop. Head to the atmospheric working kitchen to find out more about the role of apples in Georgian cooking and the ambivalent 18th-century attitude to fruit that contrasts with our own view of it as a healthy option! Watch the servants cooking traditional apple delights, sample a dish and take a recipe away to try at home.

Disclaimer
Activities are not organised by the BBC unless stated otherwise. Neither is the BBC responsible for the accuracy of the information provided. If you are under 18, ask your parent/guardian before taking part in any activity.

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