Gene-edited non-browning bananas move closer to UK supermarkets

Tropic says the bananas have the same taste and texture as conventional bananas but remain “fresh, yellow and appetising long after peeling and slicing.” Gilad Gershon, the company’s chief executive, said the flesh resists browning for an extra day or two, and longer if chilled. He added that the trait could make it easier to add bananas to prepackaged products such as fruit salads and breakfast pots, while reducing waste.

According to the Food Standards Agency, precision-bred status is granted only if the genetic changes could have been achieved through traditional breeding methods. It differs from genetic modification because precision-bred organisms do not contain DNA from unrelated species.

Prof Cathie Martin, a project leader at the John Innes Centre in Norwich who has worked on gene-edited tomatoes, said the next stage for all crops that have received marketing approval, including the new bananas, is a review by the FSA to ensure product safety. She said it was not entirely clear how long this would take.

Tropic developed the bananas using Crispr-Cas9 gene-editing technology to alter all three copies of a single gene in the fruit. The change reduces production of polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that causes browning. A similar approach has been effective in reducing browning in other produce, including mushrooms.

Tropic said the non-browning bananas could reduce food waste and CO2-equivalent emissions along the supply chain by more than 25 percent. “This could support an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of over 9m tonnes in the banana export market alone,” the company said.

A government study found that 1.4 million edible bananas are thrown away each day. Thirty percent of consumers, or a third, said they had discarded a banana because of a minor bruise or black mark on the skin.

Gene editing has been used by researchers to develop sweeter-tasting strawberries, disease-resistant crops and tomatoes that are more compact or high in vitamin D.

Regulations for precision-bred plants came into effect in November last year and apply only to England. The FSA notes that precision-bred foods authorized and placed on the market in England can be sold in Wales and Scotland, provided they are not processed further, with similar rules for Northern Ireland. No precision-bred organisms have been granted market authorisation for sale in England.

Gershon said Tropic had gained regulatory approval for the non-browning bananas in 10 other countries, including Japan, Brazil and the Philippines. The fruit is already being grown in Latin America.

A Defra spokesperson said: “Precision breeding offers huge potential to boost food security, cut pesticide use, increase crop yields and enhance disease resistance.” The spokesperson added that the non-browning banana “is a great example of how innovation could help to reduce food waste and improve the sustainability of our food system while keeping our world-leading standards in place.”