Gene-edited bananas designed to resist browning after peeling and slicing have moved closer to commercialisation in the UK after receiving precision-bred status in England.

Norwich-based agricultural biotechnology company Tropic developed the bananas using Crispr-Cas9 gene-editing technology. The technique altered all three copies of a single gene, reducing the activity of polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme responsible for browning.

According to Tropic chief executive Gilad Gershon, the banana flesh can resist browning for an additional one or two days and longer under refrigeration. The company sees potential applications in prepacked fruit salads and breakfast products.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has approved a marketing notice confirming the bananas' precision-bred status. Under the regulations, this status applies when genetic changes could have been achieved through traditional breeding and do not introduce DNA from unrelated species.

The bananas must still undergo a Food Standards Agency review before they can receive market authorisation. No precision-bred organisms have yet received market authorisation for sale in England.

Tropic said the technology could reduce food waste and CO2-equivalent emissions across the banana supply chain by more than 25 per cent, equivalent to more than 9 million tons of annual CO2 emissions in the banana export market.

The company has received regulatory approval for the non-browning bananas in 10 other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and the Philippines. The bananas are already being grown in Latin America.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com