It’s always scary to think of the GMOs we may be consuming without much notice. But what’s scarier is a few up-and-coming GMOs that are this close to approval by the USDA and the FDA.
Okanagan Specialty Fruits Arctic Apple
The apple that does not brown after it’s been cut. That’s all thanks to the limited expression of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase.
This particular apple has already been deregulated, but there are major concerns over the modified apple’s pest resistance, meaning it may require more pesticides than the typical apple.
AquaBouty AquaAdvantage Salmon
Better known as “Frankenfish,” this genetically-altered creature is made from the genes of two different types of salmon – Chinook Salmon and the Atlantic Salmon.
AquaBounty claims the fish grow twice as fast as wild salmon, and they’ll be raised in a land-based facility. They are still awaiting approval from the FDA.
J.R. Simplot Innate Potato
This GE potato has been specifically designed to resist a detrimental fungus, late blight, which caused the Irish potato famine in the 1800s. This Russet Burbank potato also comes with reduced browning susceptibility.
The USDA has already approved a similar Simplot potato, so this one won’t be too far behind.
Monsanto Corn
The USDA is considering two different varieties of Monsanto Corn. One will stave off corn rootworm, which has become increasingly resistant to the usual method of simply rotating crops each year. The other claims to increase ear biomass size, which would increase yield.
When it comes to rootworm, the current crop of GE corn is creating insects that are immune to the technology, which is why they’re in need of a more complex GMO technology.
Dow AgroSciences Cotton
This plant is designed to resist the spraying of powerful herbicides. The company behind the GE cotton says superweeds are harder to get rid of, so with the altered cotton, they can spray their hearts out and the cotton won’t be affected.
Approval for the GE cotton is still pending.
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