TOMATOES AREN’T NEW to the methods and technol-ogy of gene modification. In fact, a GMO tomato was one of the first GMOs in the produce sector available for sale in 1994, following approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This special tomato, known as the Flavr Savr, was developed by Californian company Calgene with consumers in mind. The tomato was genetically modified to extend its shelf life and bring consumers a better tasting and longer lasting tomato.Despite massive steps forward for genetically modified foods, Flavr Savr was not a commercial success and ultimately was taken off the shelves in 1997 due to high production costs and financial troubles, according to Oregon State University. Over the following 20 years, there were various successful GMO products, but not in tomatoes — yet this is about to change thanks to experts at Norfolk Plant Sciences (NPS) that have set out to bring a new GM tomato to market.
展开▼
