Tricked-out tomato
The tomato gets GMO enrichment
By Ashley Griffin Gartland
March 29, 2007
The U.S. government has long required flour manufacturers to enrich white flour with vitamins and minerals: niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, iron, and folic acid. Now researchers have done the same for the tomato, splicing genes from mice and weeds into the plump red fruit so that it, too, is full of folic acid.
The new supertomato houses up to 25 more folate (water-soluble B vitamins) than normal fruits. Scientists believe the increase in folic acid could help decrease the rate of birth defects, anemia, and other folate-deficiency-related problems in the developing world.
In the U.S., so many of our foods are regularly enriched (think cereal as well as bread) that we don’t really have to worry about folate deficiencies. Even if you don’t eat much bread or cereal, you can boost your folic acid with a glass of orange juice at breakfast, some chickpeas at lunch, and some dark leafy greens at dinner.
And skip the weird tomatoes.
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There are 4 comments on this item
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1. by junglegirl on Apr 2, 2007 at 4:46 PM PDT
How do we skip the weird tomatos when their weirdness is transmitted by pollen? Are backyard tomatos ever safe again? Are GMO’s just the newest way to rape mother nature? That makes us the children of that rape.
The gardeners of Findhorn in Scotland have been working on the correct way to get what we’d like from vegetables and fruits for four decades - respectfully - not by stealing and manipulation which is what scientists are unconsciously doing when they apply forceful methods.
2. by Jack on Apr 5, 2007 at 9:05 PM PDT
“Scientists believe the increase in folic acid could help decrease the rate of birth defects, anemia, and other folate-deficiency-related problems in the developing world.”
Which scientists are these? The ones employed by the GMO company? My understanding is that so far there has been ZERO correlation between GMO foods having any positive affect on the developing world. It’s simply touted by the manufacturers in their literature over and over again. So, Ashley, which scientists again?
3. by AshleyG on Apr 7, 2007 at 12:50 PM PDT
Jack,
The scientists in this study were researchers at the University of Florida. One of the co-authors was Andrew D. Hanson, a professor of plant biochemistry. In response to your question, these scientists are not employed by a GMO to my knowledge. Their motivation would of course be interesting, wouldn’t it - are they really do-gooders or are they trying to profit from this research?
4. by Jack on Apr 10, 2007 at 8:25 AM PDT
It seems that most studies like these are funded by some corporation - or they just don’t happen - and they always seem to try to prove or conclude something positive. Who besides a GMO corp (or front) would fund this study?
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