World's first seedless lemon to go on sale in Britain

LONDON: You could call it a bitter-sweet breakthrough -- it's a lemon with a twist, it's pip-free.

Yes, a chance find by a farmer has led to the development of the world's first seedless lemon which is likely to go on sale in Britain early next year, the 'Daily Mail' reported here on Monday.

What it lacks in pips it makes up for in juiciness and convenience, the daily claimed.

A natural mutation of the Eureka variety, it was discovered by a South African farmer 10 years ago. Using grafting techniques he built up an orchard large enough to market the lemon internationally.

While some are calling it the most important lemon development since the fruit arrived in Europe 900 years ago, for a perfectionist bar staff who like to ensure bits of seed don't end up in customers' cocktails it is a significant step forward.

"Nobody wants to gulp down a pip when they're enjoying a gin and tonic. We're careful to take seeds out when we slice our lemons, but it is time-consuming," Roymon George, a bar supervisor, was quoted as saying.

The seedless lemon is also said to be juicier than regular lemons. Previous efforts to launch a similar fruit have failed because it proved impossible to guarantee they were seed-free.