Strawberries are loved by millions, but have you noticed? Recently, strawberries have been getting bigger and milder in taste. Click here to find out Why Strawberries Are Getting Bigger and Mild in Taste.
Demand and Supply
Over the last two decades, the demand for strawberries has increased as the consumers are more into healthy eating habits. There is an overall demand for all types of crops and plant-based food due to a rise in population. The suppliers have to increase their yield every season based on the demand. There is always a quest in the field of food production to raise plants with certain desired traits like the enhanced taste, increased yield, and more disease resistance. In the olden days, it was done through natural means such as plant-based pesticides and fertilizers. But these days science and technology have a negative impact and mass production is done in unethical ways.
GMO
While there is no denying that bigger strawberries are produced by healthy crops and constant care of the field, the chances are higher that those big, red and uniformly sized strawberries may be from GMO harvest. Genetically modified strawberry crops have altered chromosomes in their DNA which can have harmful effects on the human body when consumed.
1. Which One of These Vegetables Is GM Produce?
Fruit Expanders
When strawberries are grown with supplemented fertilizers they tend to become big and have superficial color. Chemical ripening agents and fruit builders are added to the fertilizers so that the plant absorbs these chemicals when they grow and produce uniformly bigger and reddish strawberries. In the long run, taking these fruits can have major effects on our body affecting organs like the kidney and liver. But you can avoid this by finding out the source of the strawberries and reading the labels carefully before buying them. In general, it is safe to get the produce from the local market where garden-based vendors put up a stall to sell the strawberries which are grown through conventional methods without using harmful pesticides and fertilizers.
Plant Varieties and Other Reasons
Some strawberries that belong to a particular family grow bigger and are bland in taste naturally. We have to take extra care while buying strawberries from a supermarket. But it is not necessary that all bigger and brighter strawberries are derived out of GMO or fruit expanders. The varieties for commercial versions tend to develop bigger fruits naturally. Also, these commodity products are picked at an early stage from the plant as they have to be packed and shipped to different places. It avoids damage to the fruits as they are not mushy whey they are still a little bit raw and tastes bland naturally compared to farm stand berries.
Can I Eat Big, Bland Strawberries?
There are various causes for the strawberries to get bigger and mild in taste these days. While reading the label will help you find the less harmful variety, try to find the source of the product while you shop for strawberries. Instead of buying in a supermarket go to a nearby local market or farm stand to get strawberries directly from the farmer. This way you can be sure about what you eat and where it is picked from, a home garden or a commodity field as the home yield always tends to have lesser pesticide levels minus GMO!