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Food

This Avocado Time Machine Stops Fruit From Going Brown

Australian technology company Naturo Technologies has developed a contraption that uses steam-driven pressure fluctuations to “turn off” the enzyme that causes avocado flesh to brown.

In a truly telling tale of our times, the country that gave us the avocado on toast trend is now also the one to save us from every Instagrammer's worst nightmare: having that perfectly green avo turn brown before you've even had the chance to hashtag.

Australian technology company Naturo Technologies has developed the Natavo Zero, a contraption that uses steam-driven pressure fluctuations to "turn off" the enzyme (polyphenol oxidase, to be exact) that causes avocado flesh to brown.

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The machine, which was unveiled in June and has now been picked up by an Australian company to begin using later this year, even comes adorned with an adorable "Avocado Time Machine" sticker.

[Insert basic praise hands emoji here.]

But don't get too excited about never again having to play ripe avocado roulette. Currently, the Natavo Zero has only been successful in stopping the browning of pre-cut and pulped avo, like the kind found ready-made guacamole.

This Botox-for-avos effect doesn't last forever, either. According to a press release, the Natavo halts avocado browning "for a minimum of ten days when refrigerated (even after packaging is opened)."

However Naturo director Frank Schreiber was keen to emphasise the fact that the machine does not tamper with the quality of the fruit. He said in the press statement: "Although there is a range of avocado products currently on the market, nearly all of them contain additives such as antioxidants, acids, and preservatives which not only alter the taste of the fruit but do very little to stop the browning once the packaging is opened."

READ MORE: Only Drones and Dogs Can Save Our Avocados Now

Another advantage of the Natavo machine is that the fluctuations in pressure it applies to the fruit also eliminate pathogens, which the company claims are "beyond the limits set by the strictest international safety codes."

Jeff Hastings, another one of Naturo's directors, added in the statement: "This is a rare win-win-win situation for everybody involved, it's a win for avocado farmers, a win for the food industry, and ultimately a win for consumers."

So long as the much-prophesied avo-calypse doesn't hit us, that is.