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Bananas That Do Not Turn Brown
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Bananas That Do Not Turn Brown
Bananas that do not turn brown may soon arrive in British supermarkets.
Food authorities in England just approved a key marketing notice for the fruit.
That decision brings the gene-edited crop one step closer to store shelves.
Tropic, a British biotech company, developed the banana using gene editing.
Scientists altered a specific gene to stop the enzyme that causes browning.
Tropic's chief executive, Gilad Gershon, says
the peeled fruit stays yellow for an extra day or two.
And keeping fruit yellow could prevent an enormous amount of waste.
In the UK alone, shoppers throw away 1.4 million edible bananas every day.
Many people discard them simply because of small bruises or dark marks.
Tropic says its new fruit could cut supply-chain food waste by more than 25%.
The firm has already won approval in 10 countries, including Japan and Brazil.
But British shoppers still have to wait a little longer.
The Food Standards Agency must complete a safety review
before British stores can officially put them on sale.
Quiz 🧠
Q1. Supermarket shoppers often throw away fresh fruit just because it has dark spots.
Show answer
✅ True
Many consumers judge fruit by its appearance and discard edible food with harmless marks.
Q2. What does 'discard' mean in 'discard old food'?
Show answer
✅ throw away
To discard something means to get rid of it or throw it in the trash.
Q3. Why do supermarkets want bananas that do not turn brown quickly?
Show answer
✅ To reduce food waste
Bananas with brown spots often get thrown away, so staying fresh longer saves food.
Dialogue 🎧
Alex: Sophia, look at my fruit bowl. Every single banana is completely black.
Sophia: Well, that might never happen again. British scientists made bananas that do not turn brown!
Alex: Wait, what? Are they plastic?
Sophia: No, they used gene editing.
Sophia: A biotech company called Tropic altered the gene for the browning enzyme.
Alex: That sounds crazy. So you peel it, and it just stays fresh?
Sophia: Exactly!
Sophia: Tropic's chief executive says it stays yellow for an extra day or two after peeling.
Alex: That would save my breakfast routine.
Alex: I always toss them if there's one little dark mark.
Sophia: You're not alone!
Sophia: In the UK, shoppers throw away 1.4 million edible bananas every day because of bruises.
Alex: Over a million a day? Oof, that hurts to hear.
Sophia: Yeah.
Sophia: Tropic says this new fruit could cut supply-chain food waste by more than 25 percent.
Alex: Wow. Can I buy a bunch right now at the supermarket?
Sophia: Not quite yet.
Sophia: Authorities in England just approved a key marketing notice, but there is one more step.
Alex: What's the hold up?
Sophia: The Food Standards Agency still has to finish a safety review before store shelves can stock them.
Alex: Have any other countries let people eat them yet?
Sophia: Yes! Ten countries have already approved them, including Japan and Brazil.
Alex: That gives me real hope. Finally, no more guilt over brown bananas.
Sophia: Right? More yellow fruit and way less waste.