Genetically modified pink pineapples a hit on Instagram

July 10 (UPI) -- Pineapples genetically modified to have a pink hue are arriving in stores and are already a hit on social media.

The season that brought social media sensations including the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino can now claim pink pineapples, which have been in development by companies including Del Monte and Dole since 2005.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an approval for stores to sell the modified fruit at the end of last year, explaining the color change was created by using Lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red and watermelons pink, to change the enzymes that make pineapples yellow.

The new pineapple species, officially dubbed Ananas comosus and unofficially known as "Rosé," is purportedly sweeter than its yellow predecessor.

The pink pineapples are now arriving in stores, and have proven popular with Instagrammers, who have already posted hundreds of images featuring the GMO fruit.