How tiny, seedless avocados can keep you out of the ER

When it comes to removing the seed from an avocado, the Brits are getting a little extra help.

This month, the British retailer Marks & Spencer has introduced a safer avocado, or at least one that’s seedless. These pint-sized avocados, also known as cocktail avocados, are grown in Spain and only about 2 to 3 inches long. And because there’s no pit, there’s no need to for a sharp knife to hack it out.

That matters to doctors in the UK, where the medical community began referring to the gashes one gets when the seed removal goes wrong as “avocado hand.”

Nerves and tendons were being slashed with such frequency, the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons warned people about the safety risk, and one doctor even suggested avocados carry safety labels, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

But don’t get too excited about this little avocado arriving in your grocery store anytime soon. The Los Angeles Times reports they are only available in December and their supply is very limited. They are also on the pricey side, with one avocado selling for about $3.

Avocado expert Mary Lu Arpaia, a University of California horticulturist, said pit-less avocados develop when the weather allows the fruit to set without fertilization. Arpaia found an example of the seed-less avocado during a trip to New Zealand several years ago.

She said that while the avocado isn’t all that unusual, it sure does represent a great marketing opportunity.

© 2017 The Fresno Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.