In a revealing business lunch, the fruit's promotion body The Banana Group said that the UK public consumed 150 per cent more bananas in 2001 than it did in 1984.

325,000 tonnes of bananas were sold in 1984, compared with 725,000 today – a rise from one banana per head per week, to double that in 2001.

Growth was just 15 per cent elsewhere in the fruit market over the same period.

The campaign body, which comprises representatives from Fyffes, Del Monte and other major players, claimed that the superb performance of the line was due to the banana's energy-giving sporting image cultivated by Banana Group PR chiefs.

Spokesman Dr Laurence Swan said: 'We have raised the profile of this energy giving food.' He added that over the 17-year period, one-time Olympic 100m champion Linford Christie and Wimbledon nearly-man Tim Henman were two major sporting heroes involved in the project.

A campaign with The Sun newspaper that focused on the UK's unsung sporting champions was also successful, he said.

Later, PR boss Jane Beechey, pictured, explained that the 'nature's energy bar' message was winning over the public far better than the traditional 'fruit and vegetables are healthy' pitch.

'Bananas have an aphrodisiac in their skins,' she said, 'and contain natural mood enhancer trypotophan.' She explained that a link up with GMTV had sold the fruit to seven million viewers, most of whom were female.

She said: 'Even in these liberated times us women are still usually responsible for the weekly shop.' Beechey said that much of the stunning growth in the line was in the ABC1 category, and that she hoped to see more.

She said: '90 per cent of people eat bananas and you can't do anything about the rest because they simply don't like them.' A spokeswoman suggested that rather than simply pinching customers from other fruits, the rise in the banana actually had good repercussions for public health.

'I think we have stolen a lot of customers from the snack market,' she said.

All the major multiples are involved in the promotion push for the future, which Swan hopes will see further increases in sales to three bananas per head per week in the UK.

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