January 12, 1996. Copyright, 1996, Graphic News. All rights reserved

GENETIC MODIFICATION ON THE MENU
By Nicholas Booth, Science Editor

LONDON, January 12, Graphic News Ð Tomatoes that donÕt rot, milk that doesnÕt go sour, perennially crispy potato chips and all-year round fruits Ð these are some of the innovations promised by genetic engineering in food manufacture. A first step into this brave new world of the future is taken next month when supermarkets in Britain will sell genetically-modified tomato paste. Tomatoes developed by biotechnology firm, Zeneca, will be used in tomato paste sold by Safeway and SainsburyÕs in around a hundred stores. 

Though both supermarket chains believe that Ôtasting the futureÕ will be a selling point, a number of consumer and environmental groups believe that their introduction is the thin end of a very worrisome wedge. But for food growers, obvious benefits like longer shelf life, enhanced taste, less damage from mould and greater windows for delivery commend themselves. By combining genes from certain organisms and transplanting them into food produce, an a la carte menu of desirable properties can be transferred from the laboratory into the real world. 

The Zeneca tomato, for example, makes use of a gene which slows down the production of an enzyme which is involved in rotting Ð this means the tomato will ripen as normal but will last 40 per cent longer. Curiously, the tomatoes themselves tend to be ÔnobblyÕ and so far have only been used in tomato paste. But it is not just the appearance of these so-called ÔFrankenstein foodsÕ which may worry consumers. Some campaigners are frightened that pest-resistant genes incorporated into plants may be released accidentally into the wild whilst others are concerned that not enough research has been done on long-term effects on humans. 

The Zeneca tomatoes have, however, been tested by both the relevant authorities in the United States and Great Britain.Though there is no legal requirement to label the foods as genetically-modified, both Safeway and SainsburyÕs will do so. But as more and more genetically-modified foods are introduced into the marketplace, manufacturers may find themselves thrown into new dilemmas. Last year this was highlighted by a case in the United States, where there is controversy over the use of an artificially-produced hormone known as BST, which produces greater milk yields in cattle. In Europe and Canada there is a ban on the use of milk produced from BST, but it is available in the United States. When some retailers wanted to label some milk as ÔBST-freeÕ, the manufacturers of one form of the hormone threatened to take legal action for it implied that it was more healthy.

Though many of the innovations are motivated by the cosmetic appearance of the foods Ð yellower egg yokes and perfectly-proportioned potatoes Ð genetically-modified food may improve the lives of many in the third world. Rice is the staple food for more than half the worldÕs population, but is susceptible to bacterial blight. A gene which is resistant to the blight has been isolated and could soon be incorporated into rice strains used by many subsistence farmers. 

Sources: The Independent, The Guardian, The Genetics Forum, The Safe Alliance, The Ottawa Citizen