Brief overview of the past, present, and future of genetically engineered foods in the United States presented by Belinda Martineau at the Sacramento Sustainability Forum November 17, 2011

1. Genetically Engineered Foods:
Past, Present, and Future
Sacramento Sustainability Forum
November 17, 2011

2. Introduction
• First GE Food: Labeled and the GE protein in it
regulated as a food additive
• GE Foods in the U.S. since: not labeled, GE
proteins not considered food additives and
not regulated by FDA
• GE Products in the Pipeline: Labeling?
Regulation? Sustainability?

3. World’s First Genetically Engineered Whole Food
MacGregor’sR Tomatoes Grown from Flavr SavrTM Seeds were
accompanied by tomato-shaped brochures like this one

4. “Grown From Genetically Modified Seeds”
Right on the Sticker

5. Engineered for longer shelf-life and vine-life
The gene encoding a softening enzyme in tomato was flipped upside
down and backwards and re-inserted into tomato plants, effectively
shutting down the enzyme

6. 1-800-34TOMATO in the accompanying brochure
For consumers who wanted even more information

7. Use of antibiotic-resistance protein explained
Gene isolated from E. coli conferred resistance to the antibiotic
kanamycin

8. After the Flavr SavrTM Tomato
• No other GE protein (viral, bacterial, etc.) has
been regulated as a food additive by FDA
• No other GE food has been labeled in grocery
stores in the U.S.
• No regulation of GE foods (with a couple of
exceptions) is required by FDA
• Regulation of GE crops by USDA and EPA is
only triggered by products containing a
“pest” or “pesticide,” respectively

9. Sustainability of Current GE Crops
• Resistance to viruses (squash, papaya):
reduces use of pesticides
• Resistance to insects (corn, cotton, eggplant):
reduces use of pesticides but can affect
non-target insects
• Tolerance of herbicides (corn, soybean):
increases use of herbicides and can lead to
“super weeds” but can allow low-till and
no-till farming

10. Possible Health Issues and GE Products
• Resistance to antibiotics (Bt 10)
• Inadvertent introduction of allergens
(StarLink)
• Inadvertent introduction of mutations due to
fact that current GE methods are
mutagenic
• Inadvertent introduction of pharmaceutical
proteins into the food supply (pig vaccine)

11. GE Products in the Pipeline
• Drought-tolerant corn
• Virus-resistant plum
• Canola with healthier oil
• High-lycine corn (more complete protein)
• Crops resistant to additional pesticides (2,4-D,
quizalofop, cyhalofap, haloxyfop)

12. Feynman on Technology

13. The Technology of GE
• Is very powerful and not, in my opinion, just an
extension of traditional breeding
• Is imprecise in some ways and scientists could be
doing a better job of making that clear (see
www.biotechsalon.com for one scientist’s
attempt to rectify that situation)
• Can be used to solve agricultural problems
sustainably, equitably, transparently, etc.
• But GE products can also be unsustainable,
inequitable, unlabeled, etc.

14. Conclusions for the Future
• GE could be used to help solve otherwise
intractable agricultural problems
• GE should not be used to produce
pharmaceutical products in plants grown for
food
• GE crops should be mandatorily regulated on
a case-by-case basis
• All products containing GE proteins should be
labeled accordingly, especially in a
democratic, capitalist society like this one