How many times have you bitten into your favorite fruit only to find out that it has terrible taste, it is too dry or it seems like chemicals have been added to it?

Walmart, the worlds’ largest retailer, wanted to put an end to this feeling for cantaloupes.

The sales of Walmart’s cantaloupes are great in the summertime because they are in-season and their taste is awesome.

Molly Blakeman, the Walmart spokesperson said that the sale of cantaloupes is 10 times higher in summer than in winter and autumn. So, by looking closer into this matter, they eventually found out why cantaloupes weren’t as good in winter as they were in summer. As a result, they created a designer cantaloupe which the employees called “Sweet Spark”.

Before naming it, Walmart partnered with the agriculture giant company Bayer, which, on the other hand, has merged with the US pesticides and seeds producer, Monsanto.

According to the Brix scale which measures the content of sugar, the Sweet Spark cantaloupe is as much as 40 percent tastier and sweeter than the current Walmart’s melon.

According to Weber, the goal is to produce something special which provides improved flavor, yield, color, and disease resistance.

Weber also added that Japan is at the forefront of cross-bred fruits, such as the white strawberries which are the ultimate luxury item there.

However, if we put the sweetness aside the real question is how healthy the Sweet Spark is.

Surprisingly, this manmade cantaloupe was developed by cross-breeding which means that it is not genetically modified. This method is more natural and has been used by farmers to increase their crop yields.

However, according to a 2004 study, cross-breeding plants may increase the risk of some health issues. Namely, this method is not regulated in the US and as a result regulatory agencies aren’t required to evaluate the cross-breeding plants for environmental safety and health. Also, these plants probably contain naturally occurring toxins or other potentially harmful substances which can affect the human health.

In addition, cross-bred fruits are considered seedless and they contain more sugar than normal. The high amount of sugar, on the other hand, can stress the pancreas in the human body which, in turn, may trigger numerous chronic health issues. Also, these fruits do not provide our bodies with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, which is also a good reason to avoid their consumption.

Currently, this cross-bred cantaloupe is grown in Guatemala and Costa Rica and it is sold at 200 stores in the US. Nevertheless, although this melon cannot pose instant and visible health problems, make sure you purchase only locally-grown and in-season fruits.