http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/jmf.2008.0094
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL FOOD J Med Food 11 (4) 2008, 601-605 © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. and Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2008.0094 Perspective The Problem with Nutritionally Enhanced Plants David R. Schubert Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California ABSTRACT Among the next generation of genetically modified (GM) plants are those that are engineered to produce elevated levels of nutritional molecules such as vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and amino acids. Based upon the U.S. current regulatory scheme, the plants and their products may enter our food supply without any required safety testing. The potential risks of this type of GM plant are discussed in the context of human health, and it is argued that there should be very careful safety testing of plants designed to produce biologically active molecules before they are commercially grown and consumed. This will require a mandatory, scientifically rigorous review process. More: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/16/2880839/st-louis-based-monsanto-devises.html Tue, May. 17, 2011 St. Louis-based Monsanto devises new produce varieties with range of benefits By TIM LLOYD Harvest Public Media At the store one morning you finally ditched the old "thump test" and picked out a perfectly ripe melon based on color alone. The broccoli in your fridge will supercharge the level of antioxidants your body produces, helping repel disease. And now you're tearlessly chopping away at an onion while making your famous chili. Fantasyland? Not for long, according to St. Louis-based agribusiness giant Monsanto, which is throwing its considerable weight behind developing new varieties of produce with added benefits for consumers. "We're definitely at the first wave," said David Stark, a vice president at Monsanto who oversees the company's push into the checkout aisle. With a catalog of seeds that now spans 4,000 vegetable and fruit varieties across 20 species, Monsanto researchers and executives said the potential to replicate desired traits goes well beyond what it could in the past. The tearless EverMild onion and SweetPeak melon that turns light orange when it's ripe are just the opening acts. "Monsanto is definitely putting its time and its energy behind these investments in fruits and vegetables," Stark said. "I've got tons of things coming." So how much demand is there for superstar fruits and vegetables? "Unlimited," said Kathy Means, vice president for the Produce Marketing Association. "When you hit the right mark, consumers will buy it." Between January 2010 and January 2011, fresh produce sales in the United States totaled $39.8 billion, up 3.5 percent from the previous 52 weeks, according to the Perishables Group, a Chicago-based market research firm that tracks and analyzes retail sales data of fresh foods. Numbers that big have scientists, from university laboratories to established biotech companies such as Swiss-based Syngenta, on the lookout for new varieties of fresh produce. But harvesting a hit in the produce section involves more than just flavor and eye appeal. Shoppers also make choices based on the science behind their food, especially when it comes to tinkering with genetic code. "Most U.S. consumers are unaware that many of the foods they eat already are derived from genetically modified crops such as corn and soybeans," Means said. At the same time, customers often balk at knowingly buying genetically modified fruits and vegetables. "The perception is, someone's been messing with my food," Means said. "Though the (U.S.) government and others have deemed these breeding techniques safe, marketers still have to deal with these consumer perceptions." Controversy and legal battles continue to surround Monsanto's genetically modified row crops such as alfalfa and sugar beets, and the European Union has been particularly reluctant to approve the sale of food with altered DNA. "Clearly there are a lot of people who have questions about biotechnology around the world," Stark said. Monsanto's efforts to cultivate new lines of consumer-focused produce do not involve direct manipulation of genetic code. There's an economic incentive at work here as well. Monsanto said it generally took about 10 years and $100 million to make a genetically modified seed. Advanced cross-breeding techniques can shorten that process to five or eight years, Stark said. "It's significantly cheaper and with a different regulatory requirement and - let's face it - a different public perception," Stark said. "And there's so much we can do, especially in fruits and vegetables where the technology is so new to the whole industry that the gains we can make, we're pretty excited about." But it's not a one-size-fits-all technology. Consider Monsanto's Vistive Gold soybeans, which received Food and Drug Administration approval in 2010 for testing in things such as cooking oils that could eliminate the need for harmful trans fats. The company said it tried to create the Vistive Gold seed with breeding but had to turn to genetic modification to provide farmers a seed with high-yield potential. Though it has longstanding breeding programs for row crops such as corn, Monsanto for the most part left the fruit and vegetable seed business in the mid-1990s. The agribusiness heavyweight started buying its way back in with the purchase of two major fruit and vegetable seed companies in the mid-2000s. In 2005 Monsanto picked up U.S. seed company Seminis for $1.4 billion in cash. Three years later Monsanto went shopping again and laid down $800 million, also in cash, for European seed company De Ruiter. "When Monsanto first entered with the purchase of Seminis, the level of research commitment changed dramatically," Stark said. "So Monsanto is definitely putting its energy and its resources behind these investments in fruits and vegetables." The moves gave the company complementary pieces, with Seminis specializing in outdoor varieties and De Ruiter focused more on greenhouse varieties. To get a return on its investment, Monsanto's revenue plan extends from field to checkout aisle and leans heavily on seed sales to farmers and royalty fees from retailers. The challenge facing the company now is marketing new varieties such as its tearless EverMild onion to shoppers and retailers alike. And Monsanto's pitch is layered. The EverMild has a dedicated website that includes recipes, the science behind what makes the onion mild and even a "made in the U.S.A." appeal, because the onion is grown exclusively by farmers in the Northwest. Still, it's hard for the company to know whether any of its marketing is actually working with shoppers. "We tend to understand pretty well what our farmer customer wants," Stark said. "At the same time we don't talk to (grocery store) consumers every day." With that in mind the company uses retailers as its eyes and ears. Schnuck Markets sold the EverMild onions through February of this year, and Michael O'Brien, vice president of produce for St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets Inc., advises Monsanto on what his shoppers are looking for in the produce section. "By working with us and us working so closely with the customers and doing consumer research, we can provide what the customer wants." O'Brien said. Coming soon to American kitchens In Stores: Beneforté broccoli About: Beneforté broccoli contains boosted levels of nutrients including glucoraphanin, which can increase the amount of antioxidant enzymes in the body. Availability: Test markets in California and Texas at retail chains, including Gelson's, Bristol Farms, Stater Brothers and United Super Markets. Technology: Breeding Summer: SweetPeak melon About: A honeydew melon that has a sweet flavor with a skin that turns from white to creamy orange when ripe. Availability: Anticipated to be in some stores this summer, but no test markets have been established Technology: Breeding Fall: EverMild onion About: A mild and sweet onion that's been bred to have a muted level of the compound that causes tearing when it's chopped. It's grown in the Northwest U.S. and is harvested in the fall, when onions typically have to be imported. Availability: Schnuck Markets Inc. in St. Louis between September and March, depending on harvest conditions. Technology: Breeding On the horizon: Vistive Gold soybeans About: A soybean that's engineered to make oil that eliminates trans-fats in fried foods. It is also being tested for use in cookies and as a spray oil for crackers. Availability: Pending regulatory approvals and commercialization of Vistive Gold soybeans, food companies interested in using the oil could have products on the market within the next two to three years. Technology: Genetically modified ABOUT HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA Tim Lloyd reports for Harvest Public Media, an agriculture reporting project involving six Midwest public broadcasting stations. Harvest is one of seven Local Journalism Centers nationwide created through a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The cooperative reporting effort of six public broadcasting stations, based at KCUR in Kansas City, focuses on stories of food, fuel and field. Go to HarvestPublicMedia.org for more information. Posted on Tue, May. 17, 2011 _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
