Flavr Savr tomato
The Flavr Savr tomato, developed by Calgene in California, was the first genetically engineered food product to be marketed, receiving significant attention from food-safety advocates and environmentalists. This tomato was engineered to enhance flavor and improve ripening quality by using antisense deoxyribonucleic acid (asDNA) to interfere with the natural ripening process, allowing it to remain firm while still on the vine for longer periods. Following its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994, Calgene marketed the Flavr Savr under the brand name MacGregor, opting to label it as genetically engineered.
Despite its innovative qualities, the Flavr Savr tomato faced challenges. Concerns about possible antibiotic resistance genes and the environmental impact of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) contributed to public skepticism. Additionally, the tomato's commercial performance was hindered by lower-than-expected yields, disease resistance issues, and difficulties during shipping. Consequently, the Flavr Savr tomato was discontinued in 1997. This case highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding GMO crops, reflecting both potential benefits and significant consumer and environmental concerns.
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Flavr Savr tomato
DEFINITION: Genetically engineered tomato developed by Calgene, a California company
As the first genetically engineered food product on the market, the Flavr Savr tomato was closely monitored by food-safety advocates and environmentalists.
Tomatoes are an important agricultural crop, sold both as fresh produce and as ingredients for the food-processing industry. Tomatoes are typically harvested while they are still hard and green, so that they can survive shipping and storage without bruising and crushing, damage that makes them susceptible to rotting. They are then treated with ethylene gas—the natural ripening agent—to induce softening and a red color change, but such tomatoes do not taste like vine-ripened fruit.
To alter the tomato’s ripening process and enhance flavor, scientists at Calgene in Davis, California, used genetic material known as antisense deoxyribonucleic acid (asDNA). When inserted into tomato plants, this asDNA interferes with the natural plant gene responsible for tomato softening. Since the normal genetic message is blocked, production of a critical protein that breaks down pectin is diminished, and the ripening process is inhibited. Calgene named the tomato it developed in this way the Flavr Savr; it could be kept on the vine longer to turn red and develop better flavor, but the fruit remained firm. The fruit was later softened by ethylene treatment.
In 1991, Calgene asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to examine data to determine the Flavr Savr tomato’s safety. In May 1994, the FDA approved the tomato, and almost immediately Calgene began marketing it under the brand name of MacGregor. Although Calgene was not required to label the tomato as genetically engineered, the company did so; it also offered information to consumers regarding the genetic alterations.
In 1992 the FDA ruled that genetically engineered foods do not require premarket approval or special labeling. This ignited fears among some critics that future genetically modified foods would not be as thoroughly tested as was the Flavr Savr tomato. Some were especially concerned about the possible presence of bacterial antibiotic resistance genes in genetically engineered foods. In approving the Flavr Savr tomato, the FDA concluded that these genes, which serve as markers to determine if an organism has been successfully modified, did not significantly differentiate the tomato from others. However, such markers might be allergenic and could potentially be transferred to intestinal bacteria in people who eat the tomato. The development of new antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria was already recognized as a serious medical problem.
The long-term environmental impacts of genetically modified organism (GMOs) crops are as yet unknown, but some major concerns have been raised. One is the possibility that engineered plants could become “superweeds” that would damage ecosystems as well as agricultural lands; this, in turn, might necessitate additional use. Another is the fear that the foreign genes present in engineered plants could be transferred to wild relatives growing in the vicinity, with unpredictable consequences.
GMOs offer several benefits. Some GMO crops, such as corn and cotton, have allowed farmers to use less insecticide, while crops that are tolerant of herbicides aid farmers in weed control.
Concerns raised by consumer groups and environmental activists, a barrage of press coverage using terms such as “Frankentomato,” and general public distrust of technology all contributed to the poor market performance of the Flavr Savr tomato. Additionally, when grown commercially, the plants did not have acceptable yields or disease resistance, and the tomatoes did not withstand the shipping process as well as expected. All of these factors contributed to Calgene’s discontinuing production of the Flavr Savr tomato in 1997.
Bibliography
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Martineau, Belinda. First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and the Birth of Biotech Food. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001.
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"Novel Food Information: Suppressed Polygalacturonase activity Flavr Savr Tomato." Government of Canada, 28 Aug. 2023, www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/genetically-modified-foods-other-novel-foods/approved-products/suppressed-polygalacturonase-activity-flavr-savr-tomato.html. Accessed 18 July 2024.
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