Flavr Savr (also known as CGN-89564-2; pronounced "flavor saver"), is a genetically modified tomato that was the first commercially grown genetically engineered food to be granted a license for human consumption. It was developed by the Californian company Calgene in the 1980s. The tomato has an improved shelf-life, increased fungal resistance, and a slightly increased viscosity compared to its unmodified counterpart. It was meant to be harvested ripe for increased flavor for long-distance shipping. which confers resistance to certain aminoglycoside antibiotics, including kanamycin and neomycin.

On May 18, 1994, the FDA completed its evaluation of the Flavr Savr tomato and the use of APH(3')II, concluding that the tomato "is as safe as tomatoes bred by conventional means" and "that the use of aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase II is safe for use as a processing aid in the development of new varieties of tomato, rapeseed oil, and cotton intended for food use." It was first sold in 1994, and was only available before production ceased in 1997. Calgene made history, but mounting costs prevented the company from becoming profitable,

Through genetic engineering, Calgene hoped to slow down the ripening process of the tomato, thus preventing it from softening too early, while still allowing the tomato to retain its natural color and flavor. This would allow it to fully ripen on the vine and still be shipped long distances without it going soft.

The Flavr Savr also contained a kanamycin-resistance gene called APH(3')II. This gene gave bacterial cells and chloroplasts resistance to multiple antibiotics, including kanamycin. The kanamycin-resistance gene was used during the tomato's creation phase to help scientists identify plants with the genes successfully added. Kanamycin is toxic to chloroplasts and is deadly for some plants. When researchers exposed tomato plants to high levels of kanamycin, only plants with the added genes survived.

Parent variety

The Flavor Savr was based on an old, low-yielding parent variety ("germplasm") because Calgene wanted to avoid infringing on the intellectual property of newer, better, conventionally-bred varieties. As the plant is genetically identical to the parent variety for all but the modified parts, it inherited the failings of its parent, yielding only 25-50% as many boxes per acre compared to most grower; to make matters worse, only half of these tomatoes were large enough to be sold at a premium price.

An improved flavor, later achieved through traditional breeding of Flavr Savr and better-tasting varieties, would contribute to selling Flavr Savr at a premium price at the supermarket.

Controversy

The FDA stated that special labeling for these modified tomatoes was not necessary because they have the essential characteristics of unmodified tomatoes. Specifically, no evidence for health risks was found, and the nutritional content was unchanged. Most GMOs were not subjected to mandatory labeling, which allowed for the vast majority of commercially sold, genetically modified foods to remain unlabeled.

Flavr Savr tomatoes were still labeled as genetically altered, though it was not a requirement. Safety concerns were also cited. Thousands of comments were sent to the FDA asking for a change to the labeling guidelines.

Some did not trust the tomato's safety. Because some members of the public were misinformed on genetic technology, people feared the Flavr Savr and other genetically modified products to be potentially hazardous to human health or the environment. Some chefs and food distributors boycotted the Flavr Savr and refused to sell the tomatoes in their stores. Jeremy Rifkin, an antibiotechnology activist, said, "It may be benign, but [the Flavr Savr] may turn out to be toxic."

Acquisition by Monsanto

Because of high research and production costs and low profits, Calgene was sold to Monsanto in 1997 for more than $200 million. Monsanto acquired all of Calgene's products, including the Flavr Savr. The company was more interested in Calgene's patents to certain key technologies, and the Flavr Savr has since been shelved and is currently out of production.

Similar modifications

Tomato paste

In the UK, Zeneca produced a tomato paste that used technology similar to the Flavr Savr. Starting with a successful processing (i.e. bred for machine-picking) variety called T7, Zeneca added a truncated PG gene (either sense or antisense worked to reduce PG levels) and an APH(3')II gene to the plant. They successfully made the resulting tomato firmer than its parent. Due to the characteristics of the tomato, the tomato paste was cheaper to produce than conventional tomato paste, resulting in the product being 20% cheaper. Between 1996 and 1999, 1.8 million cans, clearly labelled as genetically engineered, were sold in the major supermarket chains Sainsbury's and Safeway UK. At one point, the paste outsold normal tomato paste, but sales fell in the autumn of 1998.

The House of Commons of the United Kingdom published a report in which they stated that the decline in sales during this period was linked to changing consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops. The report identified several possible factors, including product labeling and perception of choice, lobbying campaigns, and media attention. It concluded that the tone of media reports on the subject underwent a "fundamental shift" in response to a high-profile incident in which Dr. Arpad Pusztai, a researcher for Rowett Research Institute, was fired after making a televised claim about detrimental health effects in laboratory rats fed a diet of genetically modified potatoes (see the Pusztai affair). Subsequent peer review and testimony by Dr. Pusztai led the House Science and Technology Select Committee to conclude that his initial claim was "contradicted by his own evidence." In the intervening period, Sainsbury's and Safeway both pledged that none of their house-brand products would contain genetically modified ingredients.

Don Grierson was involved in the research to make the genetically modified tomato.

References

  • "Test Tube Tomato" A ten minute long video providing an overview of the Flavr Savr and its controversy.
  • "The transgenic tomato" "Purpose: To show a general reading audience (perhaps readers of a popular science magazine) that genetically engineered crops are needed and safe to consume by discussing the development of a successful genetically engineered crop, the FLAVR SAVR tomato."