Scientists Engineer Bananas That Stay Fresh 12 Hours Longer
Bioengineers at a British startup have tinkered with the DNA of bananas, stretching their shelf life by a notable margin. Here’s what’s changed and where these revamped fruits will soon hit the market.
Bananas thrive in over 150 countries, with global output tipping the scales at 105 million tons. The «Cavendish» variety dominates, accounting for 43 million tons. Yet this staple faces a perilous future, threatened by black leaf streak (or black sigatoka) and a fungal foe known as TR4. For countless tropical regions, bananas aren’t just a snack—they’re a lifeline, bolstering food security.
Enter Tropic, a UK-based agrobiotech firm with a clever fix. Their bioengineers have reworked the banana’s genome, crafting a version that stays fresh for at least 12 hours after peeling and slicing. Even after 24 hours, the flesh darkens 30% less, all without a whisper of flavor loss.
What’s Different in These Bananas?
Tropic leans on gene-editing tools like CRISPR, snipping away specific genes to fortify tropical crops against disease, prolong freshness, and enhance quality. Unlike traditional genetic modification, this method makes precise tweaks without grafting in foreign DNA. The result? Bananas that taste just as they should.
The culprit behind browning is an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase. Peel a banana, and it meets oxygen, sparking those unsightly brown spots. Tropic’s team has mastered taming this enzyme’s output. They’re also slowing ripening by targeting genes that churn out ethylene—a plant hormone that trades green peels for yellow by breaking down chlorophyll, the verdant pigment found in plants, algae, and some bacteria. Slower ripening means less spoilage.
The startup has secured approval to sell these enhanced bananas in the Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, the US, and Canada. British shoppers, though, will have to wait until at least 2026 to spot them in stores.
Why These Bananas Matter
Tropic points out that bananas charm palates worldwide, but disease looms large. TR4 is carving a destructive path through plantations, while black sigatoka forces farmers to douse leaves with pesticides 30 to 60 times yearly—at a steep $2,000 per hectare. By engineering sturdier plants, scientists are curbing disease spread and easing the financial strain on growers.
What’s more, Tropic estimates that longer-lasting bananas could slash food waste and greenhouse gas emissions across the supply chain by over a quarter.
