Woolworths' new line of onions a 'unique innovation in Australian produce'

The brand's first round of the "unique" onion, named "Happy Chop", will be available in stores across NSW, Victoria and the ACT from July 12 until September, while stocks last.

Woolworths general manager of fruit and veg Paul Turner said he was excited for the upcoming launch of the Australian-grown product.

"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," he said.

"Onions are a household staple and this is a great option for many people who end up in tears when preparing them."

Onions contain several volatile compounds that are released when cut. The waterworks start when our eyes become irritated from the chemicals, but the new variety is far less likely to cause this reaction.

Tearless onions not only contain fewer of these compounds, but they continue to reduce after the onion has been harvested, as opposed to regular onions where these compounds increase over time.

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The concept has been a long time coming, first starting in the late 1980s through the work of plant breeder Rick Watson.

Onions have been developed in the decades since thorough natural methods such as crossbreeding, culminating in the first no-cry onion launching in the United States in 2018. The UK received its own variant in January last year under the name 'Sunion'.

While being less pungent, the new product retains the onion flavour and is slightly sweeter than regular varieties.

Happy Chop onions will be a fair bit dearer than what's currently on offer, with 500 gram packs selling for $2.50 each.

If they can put up with the tears, shoppers can get over twice the value in a one kilogram bag of Woolworths brown onions, going for just $2.