From Producer to Consumer: How Many Vitamins Remain in Fruit and Vegetables?

From Producer to Consumer: How Many Vitamins Remain in Fruit and Vegetables? From Producer to Consumer: How Many Vitamins Remain in Fruit and Vegetables? T. Zamljen/UL BF Date of publication: 9. 10. 2026 Tag: Research achievements University Office for Research Research UL BF SDG 12 SDG 2 SDG 3 Are locally grown fruit and vegetables really richer in vitamins? Freshness, origin, production method, as well as the duration and conditions of storage all play a role, according to a study conducted by the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana and the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia. What do we find when fruit and vegetables are compared immediately after harvest and on supermarket shelves? Researchers from the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, in collaboration with the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, analysed the levels of vitamins A, B2, B6, B9, C and E in selected fruit and vegetables. The study included ‘Topaz’ and ‘Fuji’ apples, strawberries, lettuce, carrots and tomatoes, comparing locally grown and imported produce, different production methods, and changes occurring during storage. Photo gallery Where the Journey of Vitamins Begins Author: J. Jakopič/UL BF Ripe Strawberry – The Beginning of Its Journey to the Consumer Author: J. Jakopič/UL BF From Tree to Consumer – How Can We Preserve Quality? Author: J. Jakopič/UL BF The results showed that there is no simple answer. In both apple varieties, locally grown samples analysed immediately after harvest contained significantly more vitamin C than comparable samples purchased in stores or imported. Similarly, local strawberries had higher vitamin C levels than imported strawberries. Among carrots, local samples stood out in particular, with higher levels of vitamins A and E. In tomatoes, however, no significant differences were found between local and imported samples. The study therefore delivers an important message for consumers: when choosing fruit and vegetables, origin is not the only factor that matters — freshness and the time between harvest and consumption are also important. Locally grown and freshly harvested produce may have a significant advantage because of the shorter journey from producer to consumer. Logos The project was co-funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MKM) as part of the CRP project V4-2419.