Woolworths is selling ‘tearless’ onions in Australia for first time

Woolworths has announced an “incredible” new vegetable variety that has been in development since the 80s is finally available in supermarkets.

Australians will now be able to buy “tearless” onions when doing their grocery shop, two years after the “incredible” vegetable variety launched overseas.

Woolworths has announced Australia’s first crop of the “unique” onion, named “Happy Chop”, will be available in stores across NSW, Victoria and the ACT from 12 July until September, while stocks last.

As the name suggests, the onion is less likely to make you cry when cut, a scientific adaptation that has taken decades to create using natural methods, including cross-breeding of existing onion varieties.

“I’ve heard all sorts of stories about how people avoid tears when cutting onions – whether that’s wearing glasses, freezing onions or wearing a mask,” said Paul Turner, the supermarket’s general manager of fruit and veg.

Woolworths is selling ‘tearless’ onions in Australia for first time. Picture: Woolworths

“We’re excited to bring this incredible variety to our customers to take the tears out of meal prep.

“These Happy Chop – Tearless Onions stand out as a unique innovation in Australian produce. Onions are a household staple and this is a great option for many people who end up in tears when preparing onions.”

The reason onions make us cry is all down to a natural self-defence mechanism, which sees the vegetable release a combination of natural chemicals and enzymes – also known as “volatile compounds” – when cut.

This can aggravate eyes, often sparking tears which humans release in a bid to wash away the irritant.

Happy Chop contain fewer of these compounds, and these compounds continue to reduce after they are harvested, compared to regular onions where these compounds increase over time, Woolworths explained.

It is also said to be a good alternative for those that find the vegetable too pungent, as it produces a slightly sweeter taste than regular brown onions.

Paul Turner, the supermarket’s general manager of fruit and veg, said ‘Happy Chop’ will be on sale between July 12 and September while stocks last. Picture: Woolworths

The no-cry variety was first launched in America in 2018, before making their way to the UK on 2022, called the “Sunion” onion.

“Tearless” onions are the invention of Rick Watson, a plant breeder working for the German chemical company BASF.

He began working on the innovation in the late 1980s, using natural techniques rather than genetic modification to create the unique variety.

But while many have praised the fact they have dry eyes now when cooking, others have previously described the new onion as “flavourless”.

“This is amazing, I’m not crying,” one woman in the US explained in a video posted to TikTok that shows her cutting into the onion and actively sniffing it.

“They are so, so cool, absolutely no tears,” another British reviewer agreed.