Bananas that do not turn brown after peeling could soon be available in UK supermarkets. A British biotechnology company named Tropic has developed gene-edited bananas that keep their yellow color, taste, and texture for an extra day or two after being sliced.
Bananas usually turn brown quickly once exposed to air, which causes many consumers to throw them away. To solve this issue, scientists used a gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9 to alter a single gene in the banana plant. This edit reduces the production of an enzyme responsible for browning. Because the process only makes changes that could occur naturally or through traditional breeding, officials classify the fruit as a "precision-bred" crop rather than a genetically modified organism containing foreign DNA.
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has officially confirmed the banana's precision-bred status. Before the fruit can be sold to British consumers, the Food Standards Agency must complete a full safety review. According to Tropic, the longer-lasting bananas could help prevent food waste in the UK, where about 1.4 million edible bananas are discarded every day. The company has already secured regulatory approval for the fruit in ten other countries, including Japan and Brazil.