TOKYO — Crying in the kitchen while chopping onions may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a decades-long research effort by a Japanese food company that has produced a tearless onion variety now gaining serious traction in the market.
House Foods Group, a Japanese food and beverage company, launched the "Smile Ball" - an onion bred to suppress the compounds that cause eye irritation - with limited availability beginning in October 2025 through January 2026 at select retailers, including prepared food shops in Japan. House Foods has since begun selling the 2025 harvest in limited quantities, with the mildly sweet, tear-free onion featured in menu offerings at specialty shops.
The innovation journey began more than 30 years ago, when House Foods researchers set out to solve challenges in the production of retort curry. That work led scientists to identify the lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS) enzyme - the compound responsible for producing the eye-stinging gas released when an onion is cut. The discovery earned the company an Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013, awarded to research that first makes people laugh and then makes them think. By 2012, non-genetically-modified onion varieties had been developed that produced minimal amounts of the tear-inducing enzyme.
The reason traditional onions cause tears is a volatile gas released by onion cells when damaged - for example, by a chopping knife. Chilling an onion reduces that release, but only partially. Chopping the Smile Ball in any conditions is reportedly a tear-free experience.
Unlike regular onions, the Smile Ball has been bred to remove the chemical reaction responsible for watery eyes while still retaining the same taste and nutritional value. Around 180 tons of the onions are expected to be sold this year. When eaten raw, the onion carries a sweetness compared to apples or Asian pears, and does not require soaking in water to reduce pungency - a common step home cooks use with standard onions.
Noriya Masamura of House Foods Group described the onion as a potential star ingredient in its own right, suggesting it can be roughly chopped, tossed with salt, dried herbs, and olive oil, and paired with white wine.
The Smile Ball has since crossed into the American market, rebranded as "Goldies" for U.S. consumers. The variety originated in Japan, where House Foods Group began developing the genetics in 2005. Bejo Seeds produces the proprietary seed for Flavorful Brands, a branded produce company overseeing marketing and promotion in the U.S., with L&M Companies serving as the exclusive sales agent.
House Foods also launched the "Asutama Kai" initiative in June 2025, a data-driven agricultural program focused on stabilizing onion production and addressing challenges from climate change in cooperation with partner farms.
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