Brown bananas, often thrown away despite still being edible, have been the focus of genetic research aimed at reducing food waste. UK-based biotech company Tropic has developed a genetically-engineered banana that resists browning and maintains a fresh appearance for up to 12 hours after peeling. This innovation is set to address the issue of bananas, a highly perishable fruit, which is often discarded when it turns brown.
Bananas undergo significant changes in color during their ripening process, which is driven by a hormone called ethylene. When bananas are bruised or bumped, as they frequently are during transportation and handling, they produce more ethylene, accelerating the browning process. This browning is caused by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO), which breaks down the yellow pigment in the fruit.
Tropic’s non-browning bananas work by silencing the gene responsible for producing PPO, keeping the fruit visually appealing longer without halting the ripening process. This is similar to technology used in Arctic apples, which have been developed to resist browning as well.
The significance of this development lies in the fact that bananas are highly perishable, and food waste is a major environmental issue. According to estimates, 50% of bananas grown worldwide are wasted each year. In the UK alone, people discard around 1.4 million bananas daily. Tropic’s innovation could help cut down on food waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 2 million cars from the road annually.
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