Tropic's non-browning bananas move toward UK shelves — SkimNews
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- Tropic used Crispr-Cas9 to edit all three copies of a single gene in bananas, reducing polyphenol oxidase production so the flesh resists browning for an extra day or two while keeping the same taste and texture.
- Defra approved a marketing notice confirming the bananas' precision-bred status — one of two required steps before market placement; an FSA safety review is next, with timeline unclear per Prof Cathie Martin of the John Innes Centre.
- The company claims the innovation could cut supply-chain CO2-equivalent emissions by over 25%, potentially reducing CO2 by more than 9m tonnes annually in the banana export market.
- A UK government study found 1.4m edible bananas are thrown away daily, with 30% of consumers discarding bananas over minor bruises.
- Tropic has gained regulatory approval in 10 other countries including Japan, Brazil, and the Philippines, with the fruit already being grown in Latin America.
- Precision-bred plant regulations came into effect in November 2024 and apply only to England; no precision-bred organism has yet been granted market authorization for sale in England.
Why it matters: With 1.4m edible UK bananas thrown away daily and Tropic projecting over 25% supply-chain CO2 cuts, the FSA review becomes the critical bottleneck — no precision-bred organism has yet cleared it for English sale. If approved, pre-packaged fruit producers and waste-conscious consumers benefit; UK banana suppliers gain a shelf-stable option.
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