The method was pioneered by HortResearch which has now sent up a joint venture company with Logisitic Solutions called Fresh Appeal. The new firm has been issued with an exclusive world-wide licence to market the new technology.

Researchers have been working on the project for years to produce a food processing and disinfection technology that can be used for a range of fruits and vegetables.

Scientist Roger Stanley said the process is a simple one: washing the sliced produce and simultaneously killing any pathogens or spoilage microbes. 'It is a special challenge to ensure safety and quality of fresh fruit and vegetables that are eaten without cooking,' said Dr Stanley. 'We had to develop a process that solved potential safety issues as well as keep apples slices in a fresh condition and with no preservatives.' Marketing will initially be focused on the lucrative US market which HortResearch estimates to be worth some $100bn a year in fresh produce sales and have a 10-12 per cent growth rate. Within that, the fresh-prepared area is the fastest growing.