Scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich have identified the gene responsible for blood orange pigmentation.
For the red pigmentation to develop, blood oranges normally require a period of cold as they ripen.
The only place to reliably grow them on a commercial scale is in the Sicilian area of Italy around Mount Etna.
Professor Cathie Martin said: “Our improved understanding of this trait could offer relatively straightforward solutions to growing blood oranges reliably in warmer climates through genetic engineering.
“Blood oranges contain naturally-occurring pigments associated with improved cardiovascular health, controlling diabetes and reducing obesity.”
The scientists isolated the gene, named the Ruby, from the flesh of blood and blond oranges.
They found that it is controlled by mobile genetic elements that are activated by the stress of cold.
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