The GMO banana that doesn't brown when cut is no longer a lab experiment. It's a commercial product that will hit shelves in the United States and Canada in 2026, and TIME just included it in its list of Best Inventions 2025.
Developed by the British Tropic Biosciences, this variety remains yellow and firm even after being peeled or sliced. This is due to a specific genetic modification that deactivates the gene responsible for the polyphenol oxidase, the enzyme that causes fruit to brown. No foreign DNA, no genetically modified organisms in the classic sense of the term. Just a biological switch deactivated with CRISPR technology. But is it really that different from a traditional GMO? The short answer is: technically yes, practically the two are the same. soup and wet bread.
GMO Bananas: The Technology Behind the Innovation
The system used by Tropic is called GEiGS® (Gene Editing induced Gene Silencing), a proprietary platform that combines CRISPR gene editing with RNA interference. According to the official statement, the technology modifies non-coding regions of the banana genome to produce small RNA molecules that silence the target gene.
In this specific case, as mentioned, the gene encoding polyphenol oxidase, the enzyme responsible for the oxidation of phenols when the pulp is exposed to air, is deactivated.
Instead of inserting foreign DNA into the genome, as happens in classic transgenic GMOs, CRISPR makes targeted changes that could (theoretically) also occur in nature. A study published in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology explains how gene editing in bananas offers precise solutions to agronomic problems without resorting to classical transgenesis.
The regulatory difference between gene editing and traditional GMOs is subtle but crucial. In the US and Canada, gene-edited plants that contain no foreign DNA are not classified as GMOs and do not require specific labeling. In Europe, the situation is more complex: in 2018, the European Court of Justice ruled that gene editing also falls under GMO legislation, creating a regulatory paradox that is difficult to manage.
The problem it solves (and the one it ignores)
Beyond the 60% Of exported bananas, they end up in the garbage before reaching the consumer. Enzymatic browning is a major contributor to this waste. Tropic estimates that its “non-GMO” banana could reduce food waste and CO2 emissions by 25% along the entire supply chain. In practical terms, this means removing the equivalent of 2 million cars from circulation every year.
But there's one aspect that goes unnoticed. The Cavendish variety, which accounts for over 90% of the world banana export market, is sterile and reproduces by cloning. This makes it particularly vulnerable to fungal diseases such as Panama Disease Tropical Race 4 (TR4), which is decimating entire plantations. Tropic is also working on TR4-resistant varieties, but the anti-oxidant banana is coming to market first. Why? Simple: it's easier to sell a banana that doesn't brown than to explain to consumers why they should worry about a fungus that threatens 80% of global production.
Approvals and marketing
Tropic's GMO banana has received regulatory approvals in Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, United States, and CanadaThe Philippines became the first country in the world to authorize a gene-edited product through its new regulatory framework, establishing that these bananas can be imported and propagated freely. Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry Philippine has determined that the product is technically non-GMO.
Commercial launch is planned for 2026 in North America. Tropic has not yet announced retail price, but the company said the technology could reduce refrigerated transportation and packaging costs thanks to the fruit's extended shelf life. As we anticipated in February, this is the first of a series of innovations that Tropic is developing for the tropical crop sector.
TIME's recognition It comes after more than twenty years of selecting the best global inventions. The GMO banana was evaluated based on criteria of originality, effectiveness, ambition, and impact. TIME solicited nominations from its editors and correspondents around the world, paying particular attention to growing sectors such as healthcare and artificial intelligence.
GMO bananas. Or rather, non-GMO. The question remains open.
Calling this banana "non-GMO" is a semantic exercise that has more to do with regulation than biology. The DNA was modified using laboratory techniques to obtain a trait that did not exist naturally in the Cavendish variety. Whether you call it gene editing, cisgenesis, or genome editing, the end result is an organism with genetic characteristics altered by human intervention.
The real challenge isn't technical, it's cultural. Seventy-five years after the last truly commercial banana innovation, the market must decide whether it's ready to accept a genetically modified fruit that promises less waste but brings with it all the unanswered questions about the long-term safety and environmental impact of gene-edited monocultures.
In the meantime, Tropic's banana remains a remarkable product from a technical standpoint. It stays yellow, reduces waste, and maintains its flavor. And it will be in supermarkets in less than a year. I would try it, of course, but let's avoid the usual circus, please. Whether you call it GMO, gene-edited, or simply "improved banana," the substance makes little difference. It's all a matter of what side of the law you're on.
