‘Can someone explain?’ Supermarket mystery debunked
A confused tourist’s viral video has sparked a conversation about a question Aussies have had for decades.
An Aussie supermarket mystery has been debunked, after a viral video proved that shoppers were well and truly confused.
A tourist in Australia took to TikTok this week, asking a question about bananas they had seen in a local supermarket with red tips.
“Can someone Australian please explain [what the heck] is going on here?” they wrote in the video.
We’ve all seen them on our own shopping trips, but does anyone really know what they are?
Comedian Nick White stitched the original video, proving the point.
“Australian here!” he begins.
“So, those are the bananas with the red bits at the end of them. Hope that helps!”
And, everyone in the comments was just as puzzled.
“They are the fancy bananas. We don’t buy those,” said one person simply.
“Obviously they’re the Louboutin Bananas!” another joked.
“It has something to do with spiders doesn’t it?” a third asked.
News.com.au contacted Woolworths to get it straight, once and for all – and it seems the story’s not all that confusing.
“We understand that some of our customers are curious about the bright red, wax-dipped tips they see on some of our bananas,” a spokesperson shared.
“The red tip identifies these bananas as certified Ecoganic. This certification is distinct from organic and focuses on producing bananas using a unique, sustainable farming method.”
The Ecoganic system is a third-party audited process which avoids harsh pesticides and chemicals, using a balanced ecosystem to grow the fruit.
Bananas produced via this farming method are often described as having a sweeter, creamier flavour and a naturally longer shelf life.
This method aims to have a lower impact on the environment by protecting waterways and is supported by The Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
Woolworths has stocked the red tip bananas for 20 years, along with a number of other supermarkets.
Eco Bananas, a grower and producer of the red tip banana in North Queensland, even responded to the initial clip in their own video to TikTok.
“Those red tips mean we don’t use insecticides, we use insects instead,” said the spokesperson, Dylan.
“We’re about building healthy soils and protecting the Great Barrier Reef.
“The red wax is biodegradable, and means these bananas are certified to our Ecoganic growing system.”
Originally published as ‘Can someone explain?’ Supermarket mystery debunked
