A major shortage in the market has caused the price of limes to double in the last year with no show of improvement. Limes are still outrageously expensive at the moment and we recommend avoiding where possible in your menus.

In February, cyclone Yasi wiped out 75 percent of Northern Queensland banana farms in February, which devastated a majority of Australia’s banana supply. Before the recent price drop, the price of bananas had previously soared to $15/kg which caused this much loved fruit to be left off the shopping list for many.

With the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables still continuing to rise, it really is a case of buying smarter at the moment to avoid running at a loss.  Due to the cold snap affecting many regions most produce has stopped growing, and these shortages are pushing the prices up.

Bananas are still the hardest hit with prices skyrocketing to an average of $13.98 per kg.  Trying to find ripe or small bananas is near impossible at the moment, and it will take around 6-12 months for them to recover from the cyclone.

The most affected produce are:  Rocket, Tomatoes, Bananas, Lime, Sweetcorn, Red Capsicums, Blueberries, Mushrooms, Seedless Green Grapes.

Best buying right now: Celery, Iceberg Lettuce, Pears, Naval Oranges, Red Apples.

More than half of all diners believe that restaurants should be responsible for providing the nutritional information for all the meals on their menu. Having this information readily available can certainly influence a diners choice of where to eat out. Diners are most concerned about the fat, sugar, and MSG content of their meals. As well of course those with special dietary concerns such as gluten intolerance, and vegans.

Simply showing the menu labels that MenuCoster provides can go a long way with keeping your customers satisfied.  With MenuCoster all of the nutritional information is provided for every menu item, easily allowing you to be ahead of the rest.

Prices however are not set to rise any further – they are already at between $3-$5 for one banana, putting them off the menu for many.

The fruit to buy now are:  Apples, Kiwifruit, Rhubarb, Passionfruit, Lemons, Quince, Pears, and Navel Oranges.

This week however is a great time to be buying Cauliflower, Carrots, Broccoli, and Zucchini.  All are at low prices, with supplies in abundance.

Possible substitutes to consider would be Mesculin or Baby Spinach.

Mushroom supplies have also been affected by the cold snap.

Fruit:

• Pears
• Watermelon
• Red apples

Vegetables:

• Continental cucumbers
• Broccoli
• Iceberg Lettuce

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