While avocados are a firm favourite among British shoppers, choosing the right one from the supermarket can feel like the ultimate gamble.
Whether you intend to slice it into a salad or smash it on toast, working out if an avocado is ready to eat has always been tricky, often leading to disappointment at home and ultimately, food waste.
Addressing the common frustration, Tesco is trialling an innovative scanner that helps shoppers work out if their avocados are perfectly ripe.
With this new technology, customers can avoid the guesswork. They'll know exactly what they're getting before they leave the store.
The OneThird Avocado Scanner, created by Dutch company OneThird, uses infrared technology to determine exactly what's happening inside the fruit pre-purchase.
Providing results in seconds, the "groundbreaking" device – as described by Tesco – can tell customers whether their chosen avocado is ready to be mashed up for toast or if it's better suited for slicing into salads.
To use the device, shoppers simply hold their avocado up to the scanner for an instant reading.
The technology reads the fruit's interior without anyone having to squeeze it, meaning no more bruised avocados in pursuit of the perfect pick.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
'The scanner will enable shoppers to choose the avocado that is right for them'
|TESCO
Tesco's launch comes at a great time, with the supermarket reporting that "avocados have never been more popular" at the supermarket.
Indeed, the retailer has sold nearly 15 million more avocados this year than it did in the previous.
Unfortunately, Tesco shoppers won't be able to access the device across all locations, with just five stores currently taking part in the trial.
Customers will find the scanners at Tesco Extra in Cheshunt and Salisbury, plus Tesco Superstores in Colchester, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Wokingham.
Tesco hopes that the scanner will be 'really popular' with shoppers
| GETTYHowever, if the trial is successful, Britons can expect to see the device rolled out more widely.
Commenting on the new test, Tesco avocado buyer Lisa Lawrence said: "The scanner will enable shoppers to choose the avocado that is right for them and which therefore can help them plan their usage and desired shelf life, thereby cutting down on waste.
"It encourages shoppers to check ripeness without squeezing, helping protect avocados on the shelf from damage, reducing waste, and keeping produce fresher in the store.
"Smashed avocado on sourdough continues to be one of the trendiest snacks at the moment, with recipe ideas garnering millions of views on social media sites, so we think the scanner will be really popular with shoppers."
Tesco has worked with Lincolnshire-based global avocado supplier and experts, Westfalia Fruit, on the project.
Westfalia Fruit's head of retail, Tom Kearns, said: "Launching the OneThird Avocado Scanner with Tesco is an exciting innovation that not only aligns with long-term sustainability goals but also enhances the shoppers’ experience – helping customers choose the perfect avocado ripeness for their needs, whether that's ready to slice or smash.
"The OneThird Avocado Scanner is just one of many initiatives we've worked on over the past year, from trialling lasered barcodes on Avocados that remove the plastic label from Tesco’s Loose Avocado lines, to rolling out cardboard and paper packaging across all of Tesco's Avocado Pre-packed lines, saving 20 million pieces of plastic a year."