Labels on apples

[Paper2002AD]

Them tiny labels on eating apples - they edible? They must get swallowed in their millions!

[Grunff]

No, and in fact the adhesive used on them is not very good for you. I knew someone who spent 3 years researching how much adhesive you actually eat, because it's apparently quite toxic in relatively small amounts.

[Tim Mitchell]

You would think that the labels would be designed with an adhesive which peels off cleanly, but it ain't so. Another of life's mysteries.

[Mary Fisher]

They'd come off too easily in transit or storage if they were and we couldn't have that, could we!

I don't understand why they need labels anyway, did we all get confused before we hd them? No.

But I really don't think many people can eat them, surely ...

Mary

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

They're used so that the apples can be easily identified at the checkout - they all have a four digit number on them which is typed into the till and the computer knows what you're buying, or more precisely, what the shop is selling.

Si

[Michael Mcneil]

Oh they do, really. I read it on the internet just now.

Well, some people do.

They'll come unstuck, don't you worry.

[dmc]

Tescos last week. Bag full of conference pears with labels missing on many.

Girl at till (after hunting for labels): "Are these nectarines?"

Darren

[Ric]

I have an apple tree that fails to put the labels on any of the apples it grows - very annoying as I don't know what they are

[Mary Fisher]

I think I knew that - but a way round that, if the check-out can't identify them, would be to have peel off stickers on a coil near the apples and stuck to a bag in which the customer puts the apples.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Oh, well it must be true ...

When they get round to it.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

That's not 'we'. That's them. They should be trained better.

Hrumph.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Would it make any difference to you if you did?

I once took some apples from our tree to be identified by Mr Juniper.

I've forgotten what they are.

Mary

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

They're supposed to have regular checks so that they know the difference between each different kind of fruit/vegatable.

Si

[Dave Liquorice]

Appear to peel of cleanly here, at least the glue layer stays on the lable not the fruit. Of course I expect some thing has leached into the fruit...

So the minimum wage brain dead super market checkout operator knows that it's an Royal Gala Apple not a Braeburn or a Pear or Nectarine...

I wouldn't have thought so either but then I've learnt that it is very easy to over estimate the stupidity of the great unwashed.

[Andy Dingley]

Try Eastville (Bristol) Tesco on the very late shift. We swap recipes for papaya or ackees and bemoan the lack of medlars.

[Mary Fisher]

I grow my own medlars :-)

Mary

>

[David]

I've got a collection of them! Not in the anorak sense, but first noticed them when I bought a grapefruit every week and the labels were different each time. Stuck them on the kitchen wall and have about 25 different ones plus those from other fruits.

There's even a person who's got his own web page of them:

its nothing to do with me, I just googled on them to find out what the numbers meant. A PLU (Product Look Up number) should you be remotely interested.

Dave

[Mary Fisher]

Spouse started doing that in the 1960s.I hated it, so did the kids. They disappeared. I didn't remove them ...

I'm sure that one day they'll have a value.

But who cares?

Mary

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

I've never heard of them!

*Google google*

Si

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

Ha!

"Medlar 'Nottingham' Reliable crops of vitamin 'C' rich fruits, needs to be bletted before eating."

"BLETTED"!?!?

*Google google*

Si