It’s the bain of shoppers across Switzerland: getting home from the supermarket, only to find that what was fresh and ripe in the store has started to go a mouldy shade of blue. Now, Migros has come to the rescue of smashed avo fans everywhere, having installed avocado ripeness scanners in two of its stores in Zurich.

Avocado scanners installed in Migros Limmatplatz and Kreuzplatz

Gone are the days when a squeeze was enough to determine whether something was ripe. In its stores on Limmatplatz and Kreuzplatz in Zurich, shoppers at Migros will be able to use a special avocado scanner to determine how ripe they are.

As part of the invention, shoppers are able to scan their avocados by holding them against the special machine. The device then provides detailed information regarding how “ready” the avocados are for eating, eliminating the need to touch and press the fruit in-store. 

The scanner itself uses a so-called ripeness index and traffic light system to rate each avocado. These are displayed as four dots, meaning the avocado needs a day before it's ready to eat, it's almost ready to eat, it's on the turn or it must be eaten immediately.

Figuring out avocado ripeness can be a challenge, say Migros

Speaking to Radio Zürisee, Migros spokesperson Carmen Hefti said that the two avocado scanners are part of a test. “We will evaluate the effectiveness of the scanner over a period of twelve weeks before making a decision about a possible expansion,” she explained.

When asked whether the avo scanners amount to a bit of a gimmick, she said that “avocados are one of the most popular products in the vegetable and fruit department. But recognising their optimal maturity can sometimes be a challenge.”