Scientists breed “super bananas”

Scientists have developed bananas that go brown far more slowly than regular ones. The scientists hope that this could help reduce food waste. A recent study by the supermarket Aldi found that households throw away on average nine pieces of fruit and veg a week – and bananas are the most likely to be chucked. Bananas turn from green to yellow and finally brown because of a chemical they contain called polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Now, a company called Tropic, based in Norwich, England, has created a new type of banana by “gene silencing”. Genes contain instructions for how a living thing will develop and grow. By “silencing” – or turning off – a particular gene it can block the production of PPO. The altered fruit, which have been nicknamed “super…

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The Week Junior (UK) (Digital) - 1 Issue, 484

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