Del Monte has launched a new tiny 'personal-size' pineapple - and it is aimed at one specific group of Americans

Soaring numbers of single households has prompted bosses at Del Monte to launch a tiny pineapple - to avoid bigger food waste.

The company says the Precious Honeyglow weighs between 1.5 and 2 pounds, about half the average weight of a traditional fresh pineapple.

It is the smallest the firm has ever sold, and is designed to be a single serving for those living on their own or for households where only one person likes the fruit.

Bosses at Del Monte, one of the biggest fruit producers in the world, found those living alone avoided full-size fruit because they worry they will waste some of it. 

So, with the number of single-person households at record levels, they came up with a plant that produces baby pineapples that still taste like big ones. 

Del Monte's mini pineapple - known as 'Precious' - is about half the size of a normal one

Normal-sized pineapples are too big for one person and can lead to food waste

The new Previous will be sold in Melissa's Produce, and will roll out to other retailers if it is a hit.

The price has not been set but they are part of Del Monte's Honeyglow range, which is sweeter and costs more than normal ones

They are picked at farms in Costa Rica from trees that are selectively bred to produce smaller fruit.  

'Our new Precious Honeyglow delivers everything that people love about our pineapples, such as its extra sweet taste and distinct color, in a compact single-serving size,' Melissa Mackay, Del Monte's head of marketing in North America, said.

Single-person households are rising - as people settle down later, are more likely to get divorced and live longer.

More than 28 percent of American households now occupied by a single person – the second largest proportion of the population after couples.

The shrinking size of households is contributing to greater food waste due to spoilage. As a result, many Americans living at home avoid bigger fruit.

The new small pineappels have special labelling

Internal surveys conducted by Fresh Del Monte show that single-person households are significantly less likely than multiple-person households to prefer full-size whole pineapples, specifically to avoid wasting fruit.

The new 'Precious' size is the latest in Del Monte's line of Honeyglow pineapples.

The company says offer this line, which comes in normal size too, offers a sweeter taste than traditional pineapples since they're left to mature and ripen on the plant for a few extra days.