Apples beat pears on crunch issue

It is all to do with how oxygen is able to find its way to the centre of the fruit after it has been picked.

Belgian researchers used one of the world's most powerful X-ray machines to image the tiny pores and channels that carry air through the two foods.

Pieter Verboven's team was able to show how the structures in pears meant they got "out of breath" quicker than apples - key information for growers.

The results of the study will improve the models used to determine optimal storage conditions.