Los Angeles: Apples with half the calories of normal fruit have been created by researchers at the University of California Davis.

The apples which have been created by boosting the fruits’ production of thatural sweetner sorbitol, are supposed to taste as good as ordinary apples, says an article in Chemistry & Industry Magazine. The advantage is that sorbitol has 45 per cent fewer calories per gram than other sugars in the apple.

Most fruits contain sorbitol and include pears, peaches, plums and cherries could one day be available in similarly low-sugar, sweet-tasting varieties.

The apples were genetically modified to achieve the low-calorie version. Apples are already a fraction of the calories of chocolate and also have a low Glycemic Index which means they supply energy slowly into the body, making them a healthy choice for dieters.