Call it cuc, stoneless avocado or an abortion of nature, but the PR for the “new fruit” available on UK supermarket shelves was overblown to say the least.

We’re all up for a good piece of PR - especially one that puts the industry in a good light. But on this occasion, and arguably also with M&S’s Midnight Avocado - the one with the edible skin - what is actually being achieved?

In both cases, the UK consumer is treated to a significant helping of national column inches of hyperbole, extolling the wonders of a brand new fruit. In the case of the stoneless cuc, growers say it is neither new or wonderful, just stoneless. And as with the Midnight Avocado, there is insufficient volume on-shelf to justify such a publicity splash.

You may think I’m being a killjoy, but in my opinion, consumers will feel let down if the product they aspire to eat is either not in-store when they visit, or if they are among the chosen few who get hold of a sample, it tastes indifferent.

I’m sure retailers never underestimate the potentially disastrous effects of letting down their customers, but if the stoneless avocado has truly been uncovered, why scupper its chances by jumping the gun? It can only have an adverse effect on the rest of the category.

I have read that the newly christened “Crazy Frog” Jacques Chirac (not my creation) sparked a small-scale boycott of French products with his overheard comments about Britain last weekend. I sincerely hope that is not the case, but his reference back to Mad Cows probably didn’t go down too well at Sopexa, which had a hard enough job rebuilding bridges after the last major political stand-off between the two countries.

The EC has undoubtedly made a sensible decision in responding to its apple growers concerns over new sizing regulations. Perhaps now London has got the Olympics, our consumers can bury their anti-French hatchets. l

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