Decaffeinated coffee owes its invention to a batch of beans that had been spoiled by seawater before being delivered to German coffee importer Ludwig Roselius in 1903. Research showed the beans had lost their caffeine content and three years later Roselius launched decaffeinated coffee

The name of the colour we now know as orange comes from the fruit. It was only identified as a colour in Isaac Newton’s time.

Over 70% of all oils and fats consumed in the world are derived from vegetable crops.

Mycologists make a living out of studying mushrooms and there are over 1200 kinds of edible mushrooms

Spain is the fourth largest producer of oranges in the world. Most Spanish oranges are eaten as fresh fruit. Nearly all the fruit are consumed in Europe and are transported to their destination by road.

Frederick the Great of Prussia (1712-86) took coffee made with champagne as a calming drink

It is said that coffee was introduced into Europe in 1683, when the Turkish army left sacks of coffee behind as they hurriedly retreated from the gates of Vienna

The world's most expensive coffee is probably Kopi Luak coffee, made from beans that have been eaten and excreted by the luak, or palm civet, of Indonesia. They pass almost unchanged through the digestive system of the animal, and it is not known whether the unique flavour of the coffee is due to the civet's digestive juices or its ability to select the ripest beans

Watercress is mentioned so often as an ingredient in detox vegetable juice recipes and as a cure for a variety of ills, that it could virtually be viewed as a staple part of the regime for those wishing to juice their way to health.

Sugar is unique as a world agricultural commodity, with two different crops competing for the same market: cane (produced mainly in poor tropical countries) and beet (produced mainly in wealthy temperate countries).

It was in the 13th Century that the English started exporting wheat, barley and oats.

Approximately 42 per cent of the UK cereal crop is used to feed animals including pigs, chickens and cows which helps put bacon, sausages, eggs and milk on the nation’s breakfast table.

Sausage machines can fill sausages at a rate of one and a half miles an hour.

Anglo-Saxons swore by watercress potage to ‘spring clean’ the blood.

In 1996 the Japanese company Matsushita launched the first laptop computer built to survive coffee being spilled on its keyboard

Oats contain high levels of soluble fibre, which act as a sponge, soaking up cholesterol – helping to lower cholesterol levels.

The largest cereal crops in the world in order of volume produced are wheat, rice, maize, barley and sorghum.

In 1996, an Italian court ruled that government workers have a statutory right to a morning coffee break

The world’s longest sausage was made in 2000 and was 35 miles long!!

Brazil produces a third of all oranges in the world of which 85% are used for orange juice. The Brazilian state of Sao Paulo alone accounts for half the world's supply of orange juice.

According to research published in 1996, women who drink coffee are less likely to commit suicide than those who do not

In Japan, bathing in coffee grounds mixed with pineapple pulp is supposed to remove wrinkles

The croissant originates from the Turkish empire where the army cooks made a crescent pastry the same as on their flag

The Turks were certainly serious about their coffee: in the late 15th century, Turkey passed a law making it possible for a woman to divorce her husband if he did not keep the coffee pot full

The UK fishing industry employs 11,600 fishermen working on 6,600 vessels. In 2004 the UK fleet landed 654 thousand tonnes of fish (including shellfish)

Oranges were first imported from Spain in 1290. The ships which brought them also brought spices along with tens of thousands of oranges per ship.

A wheat crop will produce on average about 7.5 tonnes of grain per hectare ( A hectare is about the size of an international football pitch) which is enough to make 11,500 loaves of bread.

The first espresso coffee machine was imported into Britain. Coffee bars were very popular at this time.

Apples are a member of the rose family.

The largest source of vegetable oil is soya. Other main sources include oil palm oilseed rape, sunflowers, groundnuts and cottonseed.