The colorful innovations at the CES in Las Vegas

WHow can you tell how ripe an avocado is? Many people simply press the fruit in the supermarket to get a feel for it. The Dutch company One Third has developed a somewhat more complex – and according to its founder Marco Snikkers also more reliable – method and presents it on the CES in Las Vegas. It is a device that subjects avocados and other fruits to a “ripeness check” and is connected to a smartphone app. If you put the avocado on it, your mobile phone will tell you whether it’s ready to eat, still too hard or possibly overripe.

Snikkers says it can be used to find out, for example, whether the fruit can be used to make guacamole that night or maybe a few days later. One Third says it’s about reducing food waste, and the company’s name refers to estimates that a third of all food produced is wasted. In addition to avocados, the technology can also be used for a range of other fruits, such as strawberries and tomatoes. So far, it has been marketed to dealers and growers. However, the company is also working on a variant that can be used by consumers in the supermarket.