Pink Pineapples Have Finally Arrived

Pink pineapples are no longer just a playful summer clothing motif: Following a 12-year wait, the genetically modified fruits will soon be sold in grocery stores, according to Well+Good.

The new pineapples have rosy pink flesh, and are said to taste sweeter than ordinary ones. Their color comes from lycopene, a pigment found in red fruits and veggies like tomatoes and watermelons.

Pink pineapples have been in development since 2005 and are the brainchild of Del Monte Fresh Produce, one of the world’s largest produce suppliers, according to NBC News. In December 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the enhanced fruits the official seal of approval.

"(Del Monte's) new pineapple has been genetically engineered to produce lower levels of the enzymes already in conventional pineapple that convert the pink pigment lycopene to the yellow pigment beta carotene,” the FDA said in a statement, quoted by NBC. “Lycopene is the pigment that makes tomatoes red and watermelons pink, so it is commonly and safely consumed." (In general, the FDA also says that all genetically engineered plants are safe to consume.)

Del Monte has reportedly joined forces with Dole to grow pink pineapples in Hawaii and Costa Rica—meaning they may soon be arriving on plates (and, let’s face it, Instagram feeds) near you. In some places, the social media craze has already begun:

[h/t Well + Good]