Yellow watermelon isn't GMO: it's the original, the red one is the mutation

Neither transgenic nor mutant: yellow watermelon is the original variety

If you buy a watermelon and find yellow flesh when you cut it open, don't take it back to the supermarket. There's an explanation for the surprise, and it has nothing to do with genetic engineering labs. Yellow watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is the original wild variety of the fruit; the red one that fills Spain's fruit shops is, in fact, a natural mutation that was selected over centuries for its more striking colour and greater sweetness.

The GMO myth: what's really in a yellow watermelon?

Scepticism about the unknown leads many consumers to suspect foods that deviate from the norm. When it comes to yellow watermelon, reactions range from disgust to outrage: it's dismissed as a "mutant fruit" or a "lab product". Nothing could be further from the truth. Yellow watermelon lacks peine, the pigment responsible for the red colour of the most common variety. That doesn't make it artificial: it's simply the expression of a genetic trait that has been preserved in some traditional varieties, especially in Africa and Asia. In fact, it has been sold for decades in countries like France without raising any suspicion.

The need for information: labelling can't keep up

The real problem is one of information. The average consumer doesn't expect a yellow watermelon because the market has homogenised the offering. When a variant appears, the lack of explanatory labelling breeds distrust. While the food industry pushes for differentiation, shoppers face a knowledge gap that fuels hoaxes. The solution lies in clearer communication at the point of sale: pointing out that it's a natural variety, with its own nutritional and flavour profile, would help educate the palate and reduce rejection.

With the proliferation of new fruit varieties — square watermelons, striped melons, black tomatoes — should labelling inform consumers more, or is it up to each of us to do our homework before buying?