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Can New Genetic Engineering bananas without labelling soon be found on EU supermarket shelves?

10/26/2026 - In England, it is expected that a new variety of banana will soon be available; thanks to genetic engineering, these will no longer turn brown once cut. In Germany, too, they could end up unnoticed without any labelling in shopping carts from mid-2028 onwards.

Since Brexit, the UK has been relaxing its genetic engineering regulations for some time now. Much of what is still classified as genetically modified in the EU has long since been reclassified there as "precision breeding" and is no longer subject to risk assessment or labelling requirements. A new banana variety developed by the supplier Tropic Bioscience has now also been classified in this category. It is therefore on the verge of receiving final authorisation for the UK market, where it will no longer be recognisable as a genetically modified product when sold in stores.

Under the new EU genetic engineering regulations, the British genetic engineering bananas would be classified as "NGT1" and could also be sold in the EU – and therefore in Germany – from mid-2028 without GMO labelling. It is not yet known whether Tropic Bioscience intends to launch these non-browning tropical fruits on the EU market as well.

The new genetically modified bananas are primarily intended for ready-made fruit salads on supermarket shelves, where their lack of browning would make them appear fresher for longer. However, this is purely a visual effect; it does not affect the fruits‘ actual ageing process. Consumers could therefore be misled by this effect regarding the actual quality and freshness of the fruit.

"The British genetically modified bananas are a prime example of what also German and European supermarket customers can very soon expect to find. From mid-2028, bananas – or indeed beer, bread or baby food – produced using genetic engineering could actually end up on the shelves, without this being recognisable in any way. This makes an ‘Ohne Gentechnik’ (Non-GMO) or organic label all the more important for anyone who wants to play it safe. All products bearing these labels will also be free from all forms of ‘new genetic engineering’," says Alexander Hissting, Managing Director of the Association Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG).

According to recent market research, the majority of German consumers value GMO-free products – explicitly including those free from new genetic engineering – and believe retailers have a duty to make them recognisable through appropriate labelling.

Infodienst Gentechnik: England: Genetic engineering bananas on their way to the shops (German)

Merkur.de: Bananas that don’t turn brown are hitting the supermarkets thanks to DNA editing (German)

Consumers: Retailers should clearly label products "Without New Genetic Engineering"