Gene-Edited Non-Browning Bananas Move Closer To UK Supermarket Shelves

Gene-edited bananas designed to remain yellow after peeling and slicing have moved a step closer to appearing on supermarket shelves in Britain, in a development that could have significant implications for food waste and the fresh-cut fruit market.

The bananas have been developed by Norwich-based agricultural biotechnology company Tropic using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology. According to the company, the fruit retains the same taste and texture as conventional bananas but resists browning for an additional one or two days after being cut – and potentially longer when refrigerated.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has now approved a marketing notice confirming the bananas meet the requirements to be classified as precision bred. The notice, published on 25 September, represents one of the regulatory steps required before the fruit can be marketed in England.

The bananas must still undergo assessment through the Food Standards Agency’s regulatory process before receiving market authorisation. Under England’s precision-breeding framework, precision bred organisms are plants or animals whose genetic material has been altered using modern biotechnology in ways that could also have arisen through traditional breeding processes.

Tropic developed the bananas by altering all three copies of a gene involved in the production of polyphenol oxidase, the enzyme responsible for browning. Reducing production of the enzyme means the flesh remains visually fresher for considerably longer after peeling or slicing.

The development could open new opportunities for bananas in prepared products such as fresh fruit salads and breakfast pots, where rapid browning has traditionally limited their use.

Food waste is another major focus. Around 1.4 million edible bananas are discarded every day in Britain, according to government research cited in the report, while 30% of consumers said they had thrown away bananas because of minor bruising or black marks.

Tropic claims its non-browning bananas could reduce food waste and associated CO2-equivalent emissions throughout the supply chain by more than 25%, potentially contributing to reductions of more than nine million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually across the global banana export market.

The company has already secured regulatory approval for the bananas in 10 other countries, including Japan, Brazil and the Philippines, and the fruit is being grown in Latin America. Tropic has also begun the wider commercial roll-out of its gene-edited banana portfolio following the launch of new varieties in 2025.

Precision-breeding regulations for plants came into force in England in November 2025. While the legislation applies specifically to England, the FSA says authorised precision-bred foods placed on the English market may also be sold in Scotland and Wales where they have not undergone further processing, with related provisions applying in Northern Ireland.

For the fresh produce sector, the non-browning banana represents a particularly tangible example of how gene editing could move beyond crop production benefits and directly address shelf life, convenience and waste – provided the fruit successfully completes the remaining food-safety authorisation process.