UK-based Tropic has launched its first commercial product, a non-browning banana developed through gene editing. The variety has been included on TIME's 2025 Best Inventions list in the food and drink category. For more than two decades, TIME has highlighted technologies across multiple sectors, including food production.
The non-browning banana remains firm and yellow after peeling and slicing, allowing its use in products such as fruit salads, smoothies, and desserts. According to Tropic, the banana maintains the taste, texture, and aroma of the standard Cavendish but stays fresh for longer. The trait was developed by switching off the gene responsible for polyphenol oxidase, the enzyme that causes browning. This was achieved through precise gene editing techniques that make targeted changes to the fruit's DNA.
© Tropic
Bananas are the most consumed fruit globally and an important source of income for growers. The Cavendish variety, which represents over 90% of export volumes, is sterile and cannot be hybridised or bred through traditional methods, leaving it vulnerable to Panama disease (TR4), Black Sigatoka, and changing climatic conditions. Tropic reports that its research aims to extend the green life of bananas and develop varieties with resistance to these diseases.
The company confirmed that its non-browning banana variety has received regulatory approval in several growing regions and is scheduled to be commercially available to consumers in the US and Canada in 2026.
TIME evaluates inventions for its list using criteria such as originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact. Nominations are submitted by editors, correspondents, and through an open application process. Each candidate is reviewed across categories ranging from healthcare and sustainability to food and technology.
This recognition follows earlier listings for Tropic, including TIME's Top 250 GreenTech 2025 and the Thrive Top 50 AgTech Report 2025. The company indicated that further banana varieties are in development, targeting improved shelf life and disease resistance through non-GMO technologies.
© TropicFor more information:
Tropic
Tel: +44 (0) 1603 274 441
Email: [email protected]
www.tropic.bio
