Marks & Spencer has begun selling a stoneless avocado that could help banish the pain of “avocado hand”.

The so-called cocktail avocado is 5cm-8cm (2in-3in) in length and has a smooth, edible skin, meaning it can be sliced or eaten whole.

Earlier this year, the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons identified the problem of increasing numbers of people turning up at A&E after cutting their hands and fingers while trying to remove avocado stones, and called for safety labels to be put on the fruit.

Charlotte Curtis, a food technology specialist at M&S, said: “We’ve had the mini, the giant, ready sliced and we’re now launching the holy grail of avocados – stoneless. This amazing fruit has been on our radar for a couple of years and we’re very excited to have finally been able to get hold of some for our customers to try.”

The slimmer fruit is the result of an unpollinated blossom and develops without a seed. It is grown in Spain and currently only available during December. M&S said stoneless avocados were usually sent to Paris, where chefs use them in high-end restaurants, but the retailer had managed to source a limited supply this year.

Curtis said she expected them to sell out quickly, adding: “My top tip is to try them deep fried.”

M&S’s stoneless version is the latest attempt to meet growing global demand for avocados while supply is being squeezed.

Over the summer, Tesco briefly sold an avocado weighing about 70g and nearly one-third of the usual size. M&S is also experimenting with tattooing avocados instead of using sticky labels.

UK sales have surged as the Instagram-friendly dish of avocado on toast has become increasing popular and health-conscious consumers have used the fruit in smoothies and salads. It has also been blamed for young people not being able to afford to buy a house.

Poor harvests in producer countries including Peru and South Africa have combined with soaring demand from China to create a worldwide shortage. Strikes by workers in Mexico, which accounts for up to 70% of global avocado production, compounded the problem.

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