Dive Brief:
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British supermarket chain Marks and Spencer is selling a "cocktail avocado" with a softer skin and no pit — so it can be eaten skin and all. The designer fruit, grown in Spain, is about two or three inches long, costs about $2.70 each, and is only available in limited supply, according to Slate.
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This new type of avocado is the fruit of an un-pollinated avocado blossom and develops without a seed. They are only available in December and are usually reserved for chefs of high-end Paris restaurants, Slate reported.
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One reason the pitless avocado was developed was to reduce the incidence of "avocado hands" — the result of amateur cooks cutting themselves while slicing avocados. The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons issued a warning back in May about the problem, the publication noted, and the group's secretary has suggested that regular avocados carry warning labels.
Dive Insight:
Popularity of the fatty green fruit is at an all-time high, resulting in record consumption — and prices. A diminished California crop has increased the need to import avocados. The average weekly U.S. avocado consumption of 42 million pounds has nearly doubled in the past three years and is projected to hit 50 million pounds per week in 2019.
While California produces nearly all the U.S. avocado crop, drought and heat have reduced this year's harvest by nearly half. Retailers have been stocking their shelves in recent years with more of the fruit to meet the public's growing demand. Trader Joe's even managed to capitalize on some smaller products resulting from the relatively poor crop this year by offering "Teeny Tiny Avocados" for $2.69 to $2.99 per six-count bag. These smaller avocados, which attracted publicity on social media and with the press, were touted as "just the right size" for use on a sandwich, avocado toast, or to mix into a salad.
Avocados star in an increasing array of trendy foods — guacamole, oil, ice cream, salads and avocado toast. They also play supporting roles in cosmetic uses such as lotions, facial masks and hair conditioners. Their popularity stems from this versatility but also from astute marketing that has gradually positioned the avocado as the modern and healthy food to serve.
Health benefits stem from a high level of monounsatured fat, plus significant amounts of potassium, fiber, folate and other essential vitamins and minerals. A recent study found eating one fresh avocado daily for six months improved working memory and problem-solving skills in 40 healthy adults aged 50 and older, according to research from Tufts University.
Marks and Spencer isn't the only retailer offering designer produce items. Earlier this year, Walmart began selling a cantaloupe called "The Sweet Spark," which it advertised as being 40% sweeter than conventional varieties. The company reportedly developed the variety over two years in a partnership with Bayer, the German seed company.
It's hard to tell whether these "cocktail avocados" would be a hit in the U.S. since they aren't available here yet, but the fact that they can be eaten whole and don't come with a seed could appeal to the busy consumer looking for a healthy snack to eat on the go. The trick, of course, would be to maintain the same taste that consumers are used to in the conventional fruit. U.S. retailers would be wise to work on establishing a partnership, much like Walmart did with the cantaloupe, so that when the special avocado comes to America, they have exclusive rights to it — and the public buzz that could help them rise above the crowded and competitive grocery field.