Tesco, a UK-based supermarket chain, is testing a new method of fruit packaging that sorts grapes by flavour and texture instead of the traditional colour categories.
The trial, taking place in 220 stores across the UK, seeks to improve the customer experience by introducing new labels that highlight whether grapes have a tropical flavour, sweet taste, or a crunchy texture.
The new labelling system is being trailed alongside the supermarket’s current selection of table grapes, providing customers with a wider variety of options.
Initial feedback from the ‘Fruitology’ trial suggests that British shoppers have clear preferences, with a strong inclination towards grapes with a crunchy texture.
Tesco Fruit technical manager James Cackett said: “If you ask anyone how many grape varieties there are, most people are likely to tell you three – red, green and black.
“And that was pretty much the case until the turn of the century when fruit breeders began looking at how to naturally improve flavour, crunchiness and sweetness, which is a wholly natural process, to deliver better quality grapes all round.
“Now with the advance in breeding technology we have the possibility to draw from many hundreds of new grape varieties which will allow us to deliver exactly what our customers want, and that’s the reason why we have set up these trials.”
The trials are being conducted by the company in collaboration with AMT Fresh, a division of the AMFRESH Group, and global fruit developer Bloom Fresh, under the Jaffa brand.
AMT Fresh commercial head Rachel Botha said: “This project, which we are implementing with Tesco through the Jaffa brand, is the most far-reaching research ever undertaken in the UK to understand British consumers’ table grape eating preferences, redefining the way they are segmented and marketed.
“We are working with the world’s foremost fruit breeding companies to supply the grapes that British shoppers want to consistently see on supermarket shelves. Thanks to advances in technology we now have the ability to do just that.”
AMT Fresh, a supplier of various fruits and vegetables to Tesco, recently gained attention for its efforts in introducing mandarins with a fuller flavour to the UK market.
