Gene technology can extend banana preservation

After the bananas are bought, they cannot be put in for too long. If they do not eat for a few days, they may be too rotted. Now, Israeli agricultural experts can double the freshness of bananas by changing specific genes, which greatly extends the “shelf life” of this common fruit, bananas.

According to reports, Haya Friedman, an expert at the Volcani Institute of Agriculture Research Center under the Ministry of Agriculture of Israel, said that after changing specific genes, the whole ripening period of bananas is elongated, and the number of days that can be kept fresh can be at least doubled. In contrast, the control bananas that were picked at the same time quickly matured at the normal rate and soon turned black and rotted.

Previously, the agricultural community had carried out similar genetic modifications in tomatoes, making tomatoes less susceptible to ripening and rot. According to reports, there are about 80 genes associated with banana maturation, and Friedman et al. further locked in the specific genes responsible for “ripening ripening” bananas and genetically altering genes to interfere with normal maturation.

Can we enjoy eating bananas that have been genetically modified? In this regard, Friedman said that the laboratory tests they conducted showed that the quality of the modified bananas will not be compromised.

Friedman said that this genetically modified banana will help banana growing and retailing. Especially in many developing countries, people depend on fresh fruits and vegetables such as bananas for nutrition, but cold chain transportation and storage are difficult to achieve. Therefore, bananas with longer shelf life are undoubtedly more convenient for transportation and storage.