Could bananas stay yellow for longer in the future?

Have you ever opened your lunchbox to find that your banana has gone a bit slimy and squishy? It might not be a problem forever.

A UK company has developed a banana which turns browns much more slowly after it is cut open.

Now an official test has been passed which brings the fruit a step closer to being sold in shops in England.

But how have these banana been changed and why do scientists think it could be useful? Keep reading to find out.

If you've ever bitten into or sliced a banana, and left it for a while, you'll probably have noticed that it starts to turn brown.

That's because when the inside of the fruit is exposed to the air, it starts a process which makes it darker.

This is due to an enzyme, called polyphenol oxidase (PPO), which is naturally found in the fruit.

The change in colour doesn't necessarily mean that the banana is unsafe to eat, but it can make the fruit look less fresh and appealing.

Scientists at Norfolk-based company Tropic Biosciences have used a gene-editing technique to create the new banana.

Gene editing allows scientists to make specific changes to a plant's own DNA, such as switching parts on or off - but no new DNA from another species is added.

Gene editing in this way turns off parts of the banana's genetic code that makes it turn brown, meaning the banana can stay yellow for longer after being cut open.

The company says by using this technique, bananas stay fresh for a number of days if kept in a container in the fridge, and can last for up to 24 hours if left out on a countertop. They argue this will mean far fewer bananas would get thrown out or wasted.

Now the authorities in England have accepted these bananas meet this scientific status, moving them a step closer to being allowed to be sold.

This type of banana isn't on supermarket shelves just yet because it now needs to get full approval by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), before it can go on sale in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. (Scotland has its own body, Food Standards Scotland).

The job of the FSA is to make sure the food we buy is safe to eat - then ministers would make a final decision on whether it can be sold here.

So, for now, the humble banana is staying as it is - but it is possible your fruit bowl might look a little less brown in the future.