Perché le pere sono avvolte nella carta velina?

Ever observe how pears at the grocery store or nook save are frequently in part wrapped in tissue paper? You may assume that’s to defend the pears, and you’d be right. But the safety is extra intricate than it looks at first glance, and that paper wrapping is extra than simply paper–it’s regularly impregnated with chemicals.
First, some rapid background: Pears have very subtle skins that are extraordinarily inclined to bruising and abrasion. They additionally have pretty long, stiff stems, which can purpose troubles when a bunch of pears are put collectively in a packing box, the place the stem from one pear can puncture the pores and skin of another. Pears are additionally prone to an oxidation-driven situation referred to as superficial scald, which is that brown, rust-like staining that you’ve likely seen. In addition, pears can be troubled with the aid of fungal pathogens and mold, which can unfold from one pear to every other at some point of transport and storage.
Or to put it any other way, pears can be sort of a high-maintenance ache in the ass. “That’s true,” says Mike Willett, vice president for scientific affairs at the Northwest Horticultural Council, an enterprise exchange group. “But you know, it’s the queen of fruits. You’re inclined to do a lot for the queen.”
Willet says the man or woman wrapping of pears, which goes lower back at least a century, is supposed to tackle all these problems. “Back in the early 1900s, pear packers commenced the usage of wrapping paper handled with food-grade oil, which slowed down the charge of oxidation and decreased the superficial scald,” he explains. “Later on, they observed this antioxidant called ethoxyquin, which does a a great deal higher job.” In addition to ethoxyquin, most pear wrapping these days includes copper, which helps quit the unfold of grey mold. Some grocers cast off the wrapping earlier than exhibiting the pears for retail sale, however many depart it on.
So about these factors in the wrapping paper–are they usually located in different components of the produce world? “Copper is used pretty a bit in pest manipulate for a large range of crops,” Willett says. “Ethoxyquin is solely used on positive cultivars of pears.” And are they safe? “All these substances are regulated by way of the EPA,” Willett says. “They go via the identical screening and evaluate as some thing else used in the developing process.” Fair enough, however it’s well worth noting that ethoxyquin is somewhat controversial and is now not permitted for use in the European Union or Australia. If you’re worried about these additives, there’s a easy way to keep away from them: Buy natural pears, whose paper wrappers don’t encompass ethoxyquin or copper.
It’s typically accomplished by using women, due to the fact they have smaller hands.
Meanwhile, the laptop that wraps all the pears should be fantastically cool to see, right? Wrong–it’s all executed by using hand. “It’s an magnificent component to watch,” says Cristie Mather, communications director for Pear Bureau Northwest, every other exchange group. “It’s normally accomplished via women, due to the fact they have smaller hands, which offers them the dexterity that’s wished for the job.” Yeah, or perhaps it’s one of these low-wage, dead-end jobs that have historically been stuffed through women. In any case, no person contacted for this story should say how a lot this more labor introduced to the fee of a pear, however it’s surely an delivered step that doesn’t observe to most different produce–something to assume about the subsequent time you attain for the queen of fruits.