Do not buy the Israeli kiwi currently sold in stores: The unusual warning to consumers

The Plant Council has issued an explicit warning addressed to consumers in Israel, calling to avoid purchasing local Hayward-type kiwi that is reaching store shelves these days. According to the Council's announcement, this is an unripe fruit that was picked before its time, and its early marketing was done before it reached the appropriate level of ripeness, so the experts' recommendation is to wait until the fruit is ripe and fit for consumption.

Shai Golani, chairman of the Kiwi Table at the Plant Council, explains that high-quality Israeli kiwi is supposed to be picked and reach the markets only starting from October, after undergoing a series of mandatory tests that verify it is indeed fit for consumption. Golani notes with regret that a handful of local growers chose to rush and market unripe fruit, an action that harms consumers first and foremost and causes reputational and economic damage to the vast majority of fair growers in the industry. Following the incident, the Council approached those farmers with a demand to immediately cease the early marketing in order to protect the quality of Israeli produce.

Orna Sandel, manager of quality and standards in the fruit industry at the Plant Council, adds that the months of August and September are considered a transition period between growing seasons, and that the fruit will reach its peak in terms of taste and sweetness only at the beginning of October. In Israel, two popular varieties are mainly grown: the Hayward, whose shape is round and is the most common, and the Bruno, which is an elongated variety with a relatively sweet taste. The kiwi industry is a significant economic component in the Galilee and Golan regions, where about 10,000 tons of fruit are produced annually, all intended for the local market.

One of the prominent advantages of Israeli kiwi is the fact that its cultivation does not require the use of pesticides, as the fruit is almost completely free of pests and diseases in the local climate.

To get the best out of the fruit, the Council recommends that consumers buy the kiwi when it is relatively hard and allow it to soften at room temperature until it is ready to eat. Kiwi is considered an especially healthy fruit, low in calories and rich in vitamins, and is known to contribute to bone health, assist the digestive system, and even contain anti-cancer effects. The Plant Council, established in 2004, acts as a central body alongside the Ministry of Agriculture and consists of representatives of growers, government, marketers, and consumers. The Council oversees four main sectors - fruits, vegetables, citrus, and olives - with the goal of ensuring the quality of food reaching the Israeli consumer's home.