Tesco trials infrared avocado ripeness scanner to cut food waste

Tesco is trialling an avocado ripeness scanner in-store, giving shoppers instant insights into fruit quality while aiming to cut food waste and enhance the customer experience.

The OneThird Avocado Scanner, developed by Dutch food-tech company OneThird, uses infrared technology to assess the fruit’s internal condition in seconds. Shoppers simply hold an avocado to the device, which then indicates whether it is ready to be “smashed” onto toast or better suited to slicing in salads.

The trial begins this week across five stores: Cheshunt Extra and Colchester Superstore in Essex, Stratford-upon-Avon Superstore in Warwickshire, Wokingham Superstore in Berkshire, and Salisbury Extra in Wiltshire.

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 shelf from damage, reducing waste, and keeping produce fresher in store.”

Avocado sales at Tesco continue to climb, with nearly 15 million more sold over the past year compared with the previous 52 weeks. The surge is driven in part by the popularity of “smashed avocado on sourdough,” which has become a staple breakfast and snack trend, boosted by social media recipe content.

Tesco has partnered on the project with global supplier Westfalia Fruit, headquartered in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Tom Kearns, Westfalia’s Head of Retail, said:

Launching the One Third 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 One Third 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.”