len gardener writes:
one of these things that i heard some time ago, that in the larger
supermarkets vegetables that can still sprout or show signs of growth
after picking are treated to stop this from happening. eg.,. onions &
garlic can sprout long after they have been picked, potatoes will bud
etc.,. but in the larger supermarkets you never see this taking place,

Garlic is so treated. That on sale in Woolworths, etc., is imported
from China, and is sprayed before it leaves the farm, I believe--you will
practically never find in the supermarket a clove of garlic that has
sprouted.

I'm confident that potatoes are not sprayed, as they seem to sprout
readily. I suspect that ginger maybe treated, as it's difficult to find
a tuber that is starting to shoot if you want to plant one. Onions seem
to rot way before they have a chance to shoot (though now and then one
proves to be an exception), so I'd see no reason to believe they have
been chemically treated.

i was told that this sort of produce was fumigated or dipped in
something to prevent this happening. does anyone have any further
information on this process?

At one time there were moves to irradiate some produce to extend its
shelf life, but I don't know how common this is. There was a deal of
consumer opposition when it was first mooted. I do know that imported
spice powders are irradiated to give them longer shelf life (cut down on
fungal growth).
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)