Ocado, the online supermarket, has struck gold after stumbling on a new hybrid fruit that fits in perfectly with its corporate branding.
The o-cado (£3.49 for a pack of two) is a cross between a Navel orange and a Hass avocado, combining the orange's rugged skin, with a luscious, fleshy yellow and lime green interior. It is rich in vitamins C and E, and has been proven to boost and sustain energy levels when eaten.
The fruit has been in development at the Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Centre in La Jolla, California, for the past five years, during which American cross-pollination experts developed hundreds of prototypes before sending the final sample for food safety certification.
Ocado co-founder Jason Gissing said he was delighted when he became aware of the scientists efforts to develop the perfect o-cado, which he described as "part orange, part avocado, and totally delicious".
He said: "People often ask me 'what does Ocado mean' and 'where does it come from'. At last we can point to something and tell them that our business is named after what we hope will become 'the world¹s sexiest fruit.'"
The arrival of the o-cado in Ocado is the latest in a string of recent unusual fruity launches . This week, Waitrose said it had paired a Catherine peach with a Williams pear to create a commemorative smoothie for the Royal Wedding as well as announcing the return of the pineberry a pale strawberry that tastes like pineapple to its shelves.
The o-cado will be available exclusively to Ocado customers from 1 April.
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