South Korea has solved summer’s biggest problem: watermelons are sold with sweetness ratings, and bananas are sold “by days”

Choosing a tasty watermelon is no longer a problem — at least in South Korea. In local supermarkets, shoppers do not need to tap the rind or guess how ripe the fruit is. Its sweetness is measured in advance and shown directly on the price tag. And nearby you can find another unusual solution — packs of bananas designed to last a whole week.

Watermelons are checked with a scanner

Before watermelons are put on sale, they are checked using special non-destructive scanners. The device analyzes the fruit’s internal characteristics and assesses its sugar content without cutting it open.

After the check, the label shows the reading on the Brix scale (°Bx), which reflects the amount of soluble sugars in the juice. The higher the value, the sweeter the watermelon is considered to be. Thanks to this, shoppers can choose a fruit based not on folk methods such as tapping, but on measurement results.

Bananas ripen in turn

Bananas are sold in no less unusual a way in South Korea. In some stores, you can find special packs in which the fruit is selected according to ripeness.

Usually, a set includes six or seven bananas. The first is already fully ripe and ready to eat, the second will be perfect in a day, and the rest will ripen gradually over the course of a week.

This approach makes it possible to eat one banana a day without worrying that the whole bunch will overripen and turn black at the same time.

Fewer random choices and less food waste

Both ideas are aimed at making shopping more convenient and reducing the amount of food that gets thrown away. Sweetness labeling helps avoid a bad watermelon purchase, while banana packs of different ripeness levels help fruit stay fresh longer.

At first glance, it may seem like a small thing, but it is precisely such solutions that show how modern technology and a thoughtful approach can make everyday shopping noticeably more convenient.