In response to the mass media reporting that pears can be kept for 5 months or apples for 9 months under normal conditions without spoiling, on September 29, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hong, Director of the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) affirmed that it is entirely possible for pears and apples to be kept for a long time. Fruit preservation depends on many factors, so when you see that fruit can be kept for a long time, you should not rush to conclude that it is due to toxic preservatives.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hong explained that if apples and pears have a long shelf life, and are produced in a condition that is not contaminated with microorganisms that can quickly spoil the fruit, and after harvesting have been treated with safe preservatives, and then kept in conditions of temperature and humidity suitable for the fruit, the shelf life of the fruit can be extended from 6 to 10 months, even a year.

"In fact, for fresh fruit, one of the issues that all producers are very concerned about is preserving the fruit to keep it fresh for a long time. Whether the fruit spoils quickly or lasts a long time depends primarily on the type of tree and variety. For example, grapefruit in our country, after being harvested, under normal conditions (just need to be cool and airy), can be kept for about 5-6 months. During that time, under normal conditions, the grapefruit only wilts on the outside, but the inside is not spoiled, still tastes good, even better than when it was first picked from the tree" - Mr. Hong said.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hong, Vietnam is currently importing apples and pears mainly from China, the US, New Zealand and Australia. There are currently about 7,500 apple varieties and nearly 6,000 pear varieties in the world. Early-ripening pear varieties often have a short shelf life of only 15 - 30 days. Medium-ripening pear varieties have a shelf life of 3 - 5 months. But there are late-ripening pear varieties, whose shelf life can last from 6 - 10 months. Late-ripening apple and pear varieties with long shelf lives are often used for export. In addition, the shelf life depends on the storage conditions: CO2 concentration, humidity, and storage temperature (best from 1-5 degrees Celsius). If harvested when the fruit is still "infertile", the fruit can also be stored longer.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hong also said: To keep fruit fresh for a long time while still maintaining its flavor, color, and quality, it is necessary to use substances that can inhibit the production of Ethylene - a plant hormone produced by the fruit itself to ripen the fruit. These substances are called Ethylene blockers or Antioxidants. Many countries now allow the use of some very safe chemicals such as: Dephenyl amine (DPA), Ethoxiquyn and 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene). Currently, 1-MCP is widely used in developed countries such as the US, Japan, and Korea. When using this substance combined with storage in cool conditions, apples can be kept for more than 8 months without affecting the quality, flavor, and color.

“For apples and pears, the principle to prolong the preservation time and keep them fresh is to use antioxidants to slow down the ripening process of the fruit. Preservatives for fruits and vegetables belong to the group of growth regulators, so they are on the list of pesticides allowed for use in Vietnam. Up to now, in the list of pesticides allowed in Vietnam, there is no substance to prolong the preservation time of fruits. This is a disadvantage for producers,” Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hong emphasized.

Regarding the issue of inspection, control and supervision of quality and food safety of imported fruits, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hong said: The Plant Protection Department has been carrying out the task of inspecting food safety of fruits imported from abroad to Vietnam for many years. An advantage for inspection is that currently over 90% of foreign fruits imported into Vietnam are through official channels and are strictly inspected according to regulations.

Over the years, the Plant Protection Department has also analyzed the risks of apples and pears imported into Vietnam and has not discovered any risks due to the use of toxic preservatives. The Department has only discovered batches of apples, pears, grapes, oranges, and tangerines that violate Vietnam's food safety regulations by containing pesticides that exceed Vietnam's food safety regulations and has handled them according to the law.

In the first 8 months of 2014, Vietnam exported 40 types of fruit to 40 countries and territories, reaching more than 1.3 million tons, of which dragon fruit reached 697,000 tons, watermelon 300,000 tons, longan more than 100,000 tons, lychee more than 70,000 tons and rambutan 6,000 tons.

It is expected that this year, Vietnam will export about 1.7 million tons of fruit with an estimated turnover of about 1.2 billion USD, an increase of 25% compared to last year. At the same time, Vietnam will also import about 400,000 tons/year.

According to VNA