CRISPR-edited bananas that resist turning brown approved in UK and 10 countries

Gene-edited bananas that resist browning have been developed by Norwich-based Tropic and use CRISPR-Cas9 to alter all three copies of a single gene, cutting production of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase so the flesh stays yellow and appetising for an extra day or two (longer when chilled). Tropic and CEO Gilad Gershon say the fruit has the same taste and texture, would make it easier to include bananas in prepackaged fruit salads and breakfast pots, and could reduce food waste; the company estimates more than a 25% fall in supply‑chain waste and CO2-equivalent emissions, equivalent to over 9m tonnes annually in the banana export market. A UK study cited that about 1.4m edible bananas are discarded daily and around 30% of consumers throw away bananas for minor blemishes.

Regulators in England have issued a marketing notice confirming the bananas’ precision-bred status - meaning the genetic changes are ones that could be achieved by traditional breeding and do not introduce foreign DNA, distinguishing them from genetically modified organisms - but a separate Food Standards Agency safety review is required before market authorisation. Precision-breeding rules apply in England, though authorised precision-bred foods sold in England can be sold in Wales and Scotland under limits on further processing; Tropic also reports approvals in ten other countries, including Japan, Brazil and the Philippines, and the bananas are already being grown in Latin America.