Coles supermarket group has launched a new website to inform customers of the origin of their fruit and vegetables. Although Coles said 96 per cent of their fresh fruit and vegetables are grown in Australia, many customers still believe half the fresh produce is imported.

The new Coles website appears to be a response to the recent revamp of its rival Woolworths’ core message of buying local and fresh.

Coles said that customers often “don’t understand why” some types of produce may have to be imported at certain times of the year.  The new Coles online calendar will list all of the popular fruits and vegetables and show month by month if they are Australian grown or imported.

The Coles online calendar shows that lots of popular fresh fruit and veg, like bananas, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes are Australian grown all year round. Coles said its avocados are Australian grown, and Coles reported that it is the only national supermarket that can say this.

Coles Group Merchandise Director, John Durkan said it was “now easier than ever for customers to support Australian growers and buy seasonally”.

“Coles is passionate about supporting Australian growers and offering our customers the freshest local produce. The problem is that many customers just don’t believe it,” Mr Durkan said.

“Buying Australian produce generates billions of dollars for the rural economy but we are not resting on our laurels. In the last year we have replaced hundreds of millions of dollars of fresh produce imports including 200 tonnes of capsicums previously imported per year from New Zealand.,” said Mr Durkan.

Coles said popular fresh fruits and vegetables that were 100 per cent Australian at Coles all year round included: apples, avocados, bananas, broccoli, beans, cabbage, capsicums, carrots, cauliflower, herbs, lettuce, limes, brown and white mushrooms, pineapples, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes and watermelon.

Details of Coles fruit and vegetables’ origin can be found on the Coles website.

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