The world’s first genetically modified banana — developed in Queensland — has been approved for human consumption and commercial sale in Australia.
The QCAV-4 banana was created by a team of Queensland University of Technology researchers who wanted to safeguard the fruit industry against the soil-borne fungus, Panama disease tropical race 4.
The new banana was bred by taking a standard Cavendish banana and adding a gene from a wild southeast Asian variety.
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“QCAV-4 is a Cavendish Grand Nain banana that has been bioengineered with a single banana resistance gene, RGA2, from the wild, southeast Asian banana, Musa acuminata ssp malaccensis,” QUT said in a statement.
“Cavendish bananas already contain the RGA2 gene, but it is dormant.”
However there are no plans for QCAV-4 to be put on the shelves of Australian markets, despite the Australian government allowing it to be commercially sold.
Panama disease is contained in Queensland and standard Cavendish bananas are in plentiful supply.
“There’s really no necessity for it at the moment,” QUT Distinguished Professor James Dale, whose team developed QCAV-4, told 7NEWS.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved it as suitable for human consumption.
Food ministers around the country will ratify or request a review of the decision over the next 60 days.
FSANZ has been contacted for comment.
