As the first bioengineering produce to Lear regulatory hurdles, the Flavor;Save required governmental agencies to adapt their current standards to a new realm of food and agriculture and to consider how genetically altered foods fit into the united States regulatory scheme. Story reveals how difficult it can be to bring genetically engineered products to market, how objections with little or no scientific merit can influence the outcome, and how important public opinion is in determining commercial success.
Reasons for creating the genetically modified tomato: The reasons for creating genetically modified tomatoes were because of the potential advantages of genetically modified foods. Currently, vegetables and fruits are not commercially cultivated merely for the local market, but are intended for shipping over long distances to nation-wide and international markets. Ripe fruits and vegetables have soft skins and can easily be damaged during handling and processing.
They can also rot In the time taken to ship and get them to the shops. In order to ensure easier handling and longer shelf-life, vegetables and fruits are harvested when still green and then artificially ripened with ethylene gas. The Arabica of doing so Is that the artificially ripened fruits and vegetables do not have the taste and flavor of their naturally ripened counterparts.
The predominant fear is that engineers will create exotic or monster plants that will eave the ability to do things that could never occur in nature and that can have uncertain effects upon those who eat the products of such plants–or at the very least, that plants could become weed-like, resistant to disease and pesticides, and spread. First, the genetic engineering process is often considered different from traditional desirable genes from wild varieties into promising commercial varieties of food crops, they usually do so by transferring large numbers of various genes, and the results are often fairly unpredictable.
In contrast, genetic engineers transfer very few genes in the case of the Flavor-Save, only one gene), bringing changes that are very clearly defined and predictable. Since the FLAVOR SAVE tomato maintains the essential characteristics of traditionally developed tomatoes, FDA will not require special labeling. However, in order to calm fears about genetically engineered tomatoes and price increases, purchase labeling would be provided about GM and the tomato, along with disclosure of the nature of the product on labels as well as P-O-P displays and in detailed brochures at vegetable counters.
The tomato-shaped, open-out brochure that accompanies the moat states that they are grown from Flavor Save seeds and provide summertime taste year round. Consumers are asked not to store the tomatoes in the refrigerator to preserve flavor. On the back of the brochure, there is an explanation of how the Flavor Save was developed. However, customers need not always be ready to go through detailed brochure to find out product details. This is where the role of the media kicks in. Through various promotional activities in the media we can increase consumer awareness and at the same time weaken the link between cancer and GM foods.
Thus the media can be used as a platform to address the health concerns over the safety of GM foods. Another method of mass acceptance is through obtaining the certification through regulatory bodies such as FDA. In the course of its path toward USDA approval, the Flavor-Save followed two steps – Grant of a permit for “introduction” of the organism Grant of non-regulatory status for FLAVOR SAVE tomatoes Certification by a national level regulatory authority such as FDA will help calm down the public hysteria concerning risks associated with GM foods to a large extent.
