A pioneering new no-more-tears formula onion has been developed, which not only spells an end for teary eyes when cutting the vegetable, but also takes the stench out of onion-eaters' breath.

The new onion is the size of a tennis ball and called Supasweet, and is so sweet to eat that it has even been suggested people may eventually start munching the onions as they would apples.

Sainsbury's will stock the sweeter onions from October, and producers hope to see the popularity of the vegetable grow.

David O'Connor of the Allium and Brassica Centre said: 'Supasweet has half the strength of traditional cooking onions.' Health benefits of sweet raw onions are well known in the US. The onions are high in vitamin C, iron, and contain quercetin which helps fight heart disease. It has been developed by UK growers in an attempt to beat off competition from Spanish onions, which are already sweeter than traditional UK onions. As such, the developers are keeping the formula close to their chests to avoid imitations.

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