How wonderful would it be to be able to buy fruit and immediately know if it's ripe enough? For now, it still seems like a dream, but not for avocados: the well-known English supermarket chain Tesco has introduced an infrared scanning system, developed in the Netherlands, capable of detecting the fruit's degree of ripeness.
Reduces Waste and Improves the Experience
Five Tesco stores are already testing this latest innovation: the scanner, developed by the Dutch company OneThird, is designed to assess the ripeness of avocados. According to the company, this system serves a dual purpose: reducing food waste and improving the customer experience. On the one hand, there's no risk of overly unripe or overly ripe food ending up in the trash, and on the other, customers are much happier (and rightly so) when purchasing a product knowing for sure whether it's good or not, without having to rely on their sense of touch. Using it is very simple: simply place the avocado under the infrared scanner, which will indicate whether the fruit is ready to eat or not.
Other chains are also moving in the same direction, such as Jumbo in Belgium and Migros in Switzerland, with incredible results: "Over the last 18 weeks, we've seen an increase in sales of individual avocados. The scanner has already returned my investment and will continue to improve our customer experience. We can't wait to use it for other products and I highly recommend it to colleagues in the sector!" says K-Citymarket Vantaa Jumbo in Finland.
Those Who Like It and Those Who Don't
Every time a new product is released, there's always someone who isn't enthusiastic about it: and if it involves technology, controversy is sure to arise. But why? Because there are those who still want to rely on their years of experience of touching fruit with their hands or watching it work like X-rays, excluding the possibility of simplifying their lives and living with the thrill of never knowing what awaits them. These people, in fact, believe that scanners are a waste of money and that all it takes is a little experience to understand whether a piece of fruit is good or not; there are also those who believe it's just a marketing gimmick and nothing more.
It's certainly not an indispensable tool, but on the other hand, some people think it's a good solution for making more informed purchases, avoiding unpleasant surprises. For example, according to the BBC, Tom Allingham, finance expert at Save the Student, believes it's right for people to know what they're paying for; or Lisa Lawrence, a loyal Tesco customer, says the scanner "will allow shoppers to choose the avocado best suited to their needs and plan its use and desired shelf life."
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