For busy Britons, the orange that peels in just 35 seconds

As lunchtime snacks go, it's hardly the most straight forward option.

Its tough peel and unpredictable squirts of juice make eating an orange on the move a risky choice.

But one supermarket claims to have discovered an 'easy peel' orange, which it says is ready to eat in just 35 seconds.

Sceptical, but ever hopeful of finding an orange which doesn't end up all over my tie, I headed for my nearest Sainsbury's to see what all the fuss is about.

At 59pence each, the 'easy-peel' variety are at the top end of the price range.

But within seconds of peeling, it's easy to see why.

The skin is easier to pierce than that of a conventional orange.

And once my fingers are firmly underneath the peel, it all starts to come off in one piece.

What's also pleasing is the lack of facial contortions needed to prise the peel away from the fruit.

And after a mere 22 seconds, I was left with an orange which is ready to eat and one which hasn't been battered by vigorous ripping.

By contrast, an orange of a similar size - but 24pence cheaper - took 38 seconds to peel.

It took multiple attempts to remove the peel and, perhaps what was more frustrating, was the amount of fruit which remained stuck to the peel.

While the 'easy peel' orange saved 16 seconds and needed less effort, the amount of sticky orange juice left on my hands was just as much as ever.

The other significant claim Sainsbury's makes of it's new Australian oranges is that they are 50 per cent sweeter than other brands.

They certainly live up to this claim and it is probably the real reason why shoppers would want to spend a little more on their oranges.

The supermarket is hoping the 'easy peel' variety will reverse the declining sale of oranges in the UK. Last year the number of oranges consumed in Britain fell by 2per cent - the third yearly drop in a row.

Garry Cirillo, commercial director at suppliers MMG, said: 'In its home market in Australia this orange is big news and has a strong following.

'The proof of the orange is definitely going to be in the eating. If consumer feedback is as good as we expect, we are really hopeful that we can increase volumes and introduce the variety to other growers around the world to increase availability'.

However, because of the imminent end of the growing season in Australia, they will only be available in the UK until September 9.