Latest news with #bananas
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port - From spies to three million bananas, it's all in a day's work
Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port (Ch4) Talk about a logistical nightmare. The business of keeping our supermarkets stocked with bananas is enough to drive anyone . . . well, round the bend. A single consignment of fruit from Ecuador can consist of three million bananas packed onto nearly 700 pallets. They arrive in the UK on a 140,000-ton container vessel so huge that it takes four nautical miles to slow down. Once in dock, cargo operations manager Rob supervises two remote-control cranes that do the unloading. Andy oversees their delivery to two vast ware-houses. Kev checks every pallet for damage. And another Andy ensures the bananas are kept at exactly 14°C, to prevent them from ripening too soon. This entertaining portrait of efficient teamwork, in Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port, reminded me of those short information films that used to run before the main feature at Saturday morning cinema shows. The marvellous Talking Pictures TV channel (Freeview 82) airs one of these most days, a glimpse of postwar Britain under the Look At Life banner. Several are available on their website too, including one from 1967 called The Hidden Strength. The first five minutes depict the Port of London at work — a very different business to the one in Ch4's Dover documentary. One of the crates we see unloaded belongs to the Hudson's Bay Company, laden with furs from Canada. These join more pelts from Africa and Russia — including leopard and tiger skins, all to be sold at auction. At the London Commodity Exchange, brokers trade in cocoa, ginger, spices, rubber and sugar, as well as ivory tusks, ostrich feathers and ambergris — a fragrant wax from the stomach of sperm whales. When we hark back to 1967 now, we might think of the Summer of Love and Sgt Pepper, or perhaps LSD and the decriminalisation of gay sex. It's fascinating to see a different reality: mountains of big cat furs and the byproducts of the whaling industry. Maybe in 60 years or so, the port activity in Dover will seem equally alien. Which bits will date fastest is hard to guess, though perhaps it will be coppers Mark and Joe on their rounds, checking the clifftops for spies on surveillance missions. We didn't see them nick any foreign agents, but they did find one bloke gathering elderflowers for his homemade wine. Even in 1967, that didn't count as a major crime. Back on the dockside, they dealt with a Romanian man with seven passengers in a five-seater car. Barred from boarding a ferry, he was ordered to turn around and head back with half his family to his home in Birmingham — with a friend coming to transport the rest. You might wonder why, when nearly 1,200 people arrived on the south coast via overladen dinghies on Saturday, we can't allow a Romanian family to travel in the opposite direction, simply because their car is a bit crowded. I've given up trying to make sense of these rules. It's all bananas.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
World Business Report State of emergency in Panama
US banana giant Chiquita has laid off around 5,000 workers following a month-long strike as part of nationwide industrial action. Workers are protesting against new social security laws lowering pensions. In 2023, Panama exported $273m of bananas, making it the 13th largest exporter of bananas in the world. What do the layoffs mean for Panama and the wider banana industry? In Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) celebrates its 50th anniversary amid recent exits from prominent member states. David Harper looks at the latest market developments from Shein, Temu and Nissan.
Health Line
21-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Bananas 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
Bananas are a source of fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients. Possible benefits include protecting against heart disease and supporting digestive health. Bananas come from a family of plants called Musa that are native to Southeast Asia. They grow in many of the warmer areas of the world. Many types and sizes exist. Their color usually ranges from green to yellow, but some varieties are red. Read on to learn more about banana nutrition facts and possible health benefits. Banana nutrition facts The nutrition facts for 1 medium-sized banana, or a banana weighing 118 grams (g), include: 105 calories 88.4 g water 1.29 g protein 26.9 g carbohydrates 14.4 g sugars 3.07 g fiber 0.39 g fat Carbs Bananas are a rich source of carbs, which occur mainly as starch in unripe bananas and sugars in ripe bananas. The carb composition of bananas changes drastically during ripening. The main component of unripe bananas is starch. Green bananas contain around 70% starch measured in dry weight. This decreases with ripening. The most common types of sugar in ripe bananas are sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Bananas have a relatively low glycemic index (GI) of around 42 to 51, depending on their ripeness. The GI is a measure of how quickly carbs in food enter your bloodstream and raise blood sugar. Fibers A high proportion of the starch in unripe bananas is resistant starch, which passes through your gut undigested. In your large intestine, this starch is fermented by bacteria to form butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that appears to have beneficial effects on gut health. Bananas are also a good source of other types of fiber, such as pectin. Some of the pectin in bananas is water-soluble. When bananas ripen, the proportion of water-soluble pectin increases, which is one of the main reasons why bananas turn soft as they age. Both pectin and resistant starch moderate the rise in blood sugar after a meal. Vitamins and minerals in bananas Bananas are a good source of several vitamins and minerals. Potassium: Bananas are a good source of potassium. A diet high in potassium can lower blood pressure in people with elevated levels and benefits heart health. Vitamin B6: Bananas are high in vitamin B6. One medium-sized banana contains around 0.433 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B6. Vitamin C: Like most fruit, bananas are a good source of vitamin C. One medium-sized banana contains around 10.3 mg of vitamin C. Health benefits of bananas Bananas offer a number of possible health benefits. Heart health Bananas are high in potassium, a mineral that promotes heart health and normal blood pressure. One medium-sized banana contains around 422 mg of potassium. »Learn more: Heart-Healthy Foods Digestive health Unripe, green bananas contain considerable amounts of resistant starch and pectin, which are types of dietary fiber. Resistant starch and pectins act as prebiotic nutrients, supporting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. In your gut, these fibers are fermented by beneficial bacteria that form butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that promotes gut health. Possible risks of bananas There are mixed opinions on whether bananas are good for people with type 2 diabetes. It's true that bananas are high in starch and sugar. One might expect them to cause a large rise in blood sugar. But due to their low GI, moderate consumption of bananas should not raise blood sugar levels nearly as much as other high-carb foods. That said, people with diabetes should avoid eating a lot of well-ripened bananas. It's always best to monitor blood sugar levels carefully after consuming high amounts of sugar and carbs. Some people claim that bananas can cause constipation. However, bananas are high in soluble fiber, so they may actually help with constipation. A banana allergy is also possible. Seek immediate medical help if you experience symptoms such as: hives or an itchy rash an itchy mouse or throat angioedema, or swelling of the skin »Learn more: Heart-Healthy Foods The bottom line Bananas are a good source of carbs and fibers. They contain decent amounts of several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Potassium, vitamin C, catechin, and resistant starch are among their healthy nutrients. Bananas may have numerous benefits, such as improved heart and digestive health.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Woman reveals horror after finding dreaded white spots on her bananas
A woman has voiced concern over what she believes might be spider eggs nestled in her bunch of bananas. Lifestyle blogger Hayley Tilbey from Chichester took to X to send a message to Lidl, the supermarket where she purchased the bananas. Hayley wrote, '@LidlGB can you advise what this is? I've just purchased these bananas from your store in Chichester and noticed this big white patch when I opened the bag, and worried it could be spider or insect eggs?' The mother-of-three added that she has thrown the bunch away, writing, 'I've now re-bagged and [put them] in the wheelie bin.' While Lidl neither confirmed nor denied whether the white spot was spider eggs, a spokesperson apologised to Hayley. A Lidl spokesperson replied to the post via the supermarket's X account, writing, 'Oh no! Sorry about this Hayley! 'Please DM your email address, barcode number, lot/batch number, store purchased from and your receipt so we can sort this. - Hilary.' Hayley's not the only shopper concerned about white spots on fruits. In 2023, an unnamed man urged customers to avoid buying bananas with small white spots, which could contain insect nests. It came in response to a Facebook post in October 2022 from a concerned Asda shopper, who spotted something unusual on the fruit she purchased. The unnamed shopper posted on the social media site to see if others could advise her on what to do. The customer wrote in the Family Lockdown Tips & Ideas group, 'Anybody have any idea what this white spot is on my banana? Brought from Asda yesterday.' She shared a picture of the blemished fruit with her message – and could have been forgiven for her concern following the responses of other group members. Horrifyingly, one user said: 'Definitely a spider in there.' A second added: 'That looks like a spider's egg sack. Put in a bag and tie it. I would take it back.' Another replied: 'This happened to me last year, bought some bananas and got a free spiders nest with wee tiny spiders coming out of it.' Heeding the warnings of others, the shopper later provided an update. She said: 'I can confirm said banana, well the bunch of them (put me off for life) are in the bin outside! The mother-of-three wrote to Lidl after finding a white spot on the bananas and asked for advice 'I may pour boiling water over them in case they hatch inside the bin and wonder into the house because I do NOT do spiders at the best of times! Let alone venomous ones!' They continued: 'May even burn my bin if I'm honest might be the best option (I am of course joking).' An Asda spokesman told LADbible: 'That particular "white spot" looks to be a mealy bug nest, they're completely harmless but as with other insects and they like to make themselves at home in between banana fingers which provide a nice protective habitat for them to live.' It comes after an outraged woman revealed the unwelcome guest who entered her UK-based home via her Asda shopping delivery. Taking to TikTok, Ashlea, who goes by @juicycolouring on the platform, shared footage of her finding what appears to be a 'giant cockroach' nestled in her packet of bananas. The distressed customer screamed as she realised the creepy crawler had settled into her packet of fresh fruit. Ashlea zoomed into the packet, saying, 'I just opened my bananas,' before screaming and helplessly questioning, 'what do I do with it?' and urging her partner to 'get it'. The TikTok user added in the caption: 'Got a surprise gift with my bananas! Thanks @Asda.' In a later video, Ashlea recorded her partner dropping the bananas into a carrier bag and quickly removing it from the house, adding in the caption: 'It was that, or burn the house down'. Shocked viewers took to the comment section to express their concerns about the unwanted visitor, with one writing: 'Oh absolutely not! I don't think I will be buying bananas again, and I'm being serious.' A second added: 'That would me be out the door, house up for sale, never seeing my kids again sorry'. 'Oh my god, I would actually pass out. Seeing them in this country? No. No. Nope, said a third. Another wrote: 'The way my jaw dropped and stayed dropped for quite some time...I feel so bad for you honestly.' An Asda spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We make every effort to ensure our fresh produce is washed and any tag-along is removed before it is packed. 'If any customer spots something that doesn't seem right with a product, we would encourage them to let us know so that it can be looked into it.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Bananas under threat as rising temperatures kill crops
EMB 0001 MONDAY - please schedule for 8.02am Bananas are coming under increasing threat from climate change, according to a new report. Analysis by Christian Aid, the international development charity, showed that rising temperatures and climate-related pests are putting bananas at risk. It found that nearly two-thirds of the most suitable banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean – a region responsible for around 80 per cent of the world's banana exports – could be lost by 2080 because of climate impacts. Bananas grow in a temperature range of between 15-35C but are also very sensitive to water shortages, meaning that increasingly extreme weather is affecting the plant's ability to photosynthesise. Diseases such as fusarium tropical race 4 have also emerged as a growing threat in recent years, causing the loss of entire farms across Latin America. Christian Aid cited farmers from the region who said their farms are 'dying', which in turn is affecting their income. Aurelia Pop Xo, 53, a banana grower in Guatemala, said: 'Climate change has been killing our crops. This means there is no income, because we cannot sell anything. What is happening is that my plantation has been dying. 'In the past, there was a prediction that this would happen in the future, but it has come earlier, and this is because we are not taking care of our motherland, our ecosystems, and this is very worrying for our kids – and especially for our grandkids.' In light of the findings, Christian Aid is urging developed nations to urgently reduce their carbon emissions to stem the growing impacts of climate change. It has also called for international climate finance to support banana growers and agricultural communities to adapt to the changing climate. Osai Ojigho, Christian Aid's director of policy and campaigns, said: 'Bananas are not just the world's favourite fruit, but they are also an essential food for millions of people. The lives and livelihoods of people who have done nothing to cause the climate crisis are already under threat.' Ms Ojigho called on countries to use this year's deadline for new UN national climate action plans as an opportunity to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and ensure climate finance 'reaches people in desperate need of it'. Elsewhere, consumers and businesses are being urged to choose bananas certified as Fairtrade, which ensures farmers are paid more for their crops. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
