Society (1994)

Lifestyles

Flavr Savr Tomato

McFarling, Usha Lee. "Look On the Shelf, It's Super Tomato: FDA OK's Gene-Aided Fruit." The Boston Globe: 1. 19 May 1994. LexisNexis Academic. Terrell Lib., Washington State University. 6 Oct. 2008 http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu.

The FDA approved genetically engineered food in the spring of 1994. Specifically, a tomato called Flavr Savr. The tomato was just the start of a genetically engineered food "movement". The tomato was created to resist rotting, and at the time, a potato was also being researched that would absorb less oil when fried. Scientists hoped to design a whole line of produce that would resist both herbicides and viruses. The Flavr Savr had a much longer shelf life than regular tomatoes. Rather than rotting or greening, grocery stores could sell the product many days after a normal tomato would last. Though the tomato had to endure safety testing, critics questioned if the testing was rigorous enough. Genetically engineered foods were required to be sold with a label such as "grown from Flavr Savr seed". And organic food organizations were quick to boycott the genetically engineered produce. The first set of tomatoes were placed on grocery shelves in the Midwest and California, just days after FDA approval.

Hager, Mary, and Laura Shapiro. "A Tomato With a Body That Just Won't Quit." Newsweek 123.23(June1994): 80-83. 7 Oct. 2008. Academic Search Complete. Terrell Lib., Washington State University. 7 Oct. 2008 http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu.

The Flavr Savr tomato took ten years and $25 million for its completion in 1994. The makers of Flavr Savr, Calgene, had to be cautious about the development of their product. With Flavr Savr being the first genetically engineered food product, Calgene faced harsh criticism. Fortunately, their development was successful. Many consumers said the tomato tasted homegrown and, impressively, lasts days longer than a normal tomato. Though it had a strange skin texture, the technology was quite remarkable. The FDA approved these tomatoes to be sold in stores, agreeing that the genetically engineered tomato was safe. The question still remained, however, what would happen in future years. While Flavr Savr labeled its product, there were no laws that declared genetically engineered products had to be. most biotech produce is developed with herbicide resistance in mind, but critics questioned what other modifications could be developed. With new technology comes uncertainty and reservation. However, makers of genetically engineered foods predicted that by 2004, all tomatoes, if not all produce, would be a biotech product.