Your January leader on Que Choisir and its criticism of supermarkets is to be applauded.

But vegetables and fruit are already covered by law yet supermarkets still cheat customers with poor quality, long dwell times on shelves and rotting produce.

There is a glimmer of hope. While your report listed most of the major chains as being rapacious, about three years ago a new market for fruit, vegetables and meat opened in Narbonne.

Called Grand Frais, the store is an eye-opener: fruit and veg is always fresh; there are no pre-bundled packs to hide decaying goods; the range is greater – custard apples from Spain, four or five types of tomato, herbs in bulk instead of pre-packaged at €2 for 25 grammes – and, best of all, the prices are lower.

Now, we would not buy fruit and veg anywhere else.

G E Taylor
By email