GMO Tomatoes
By: Juliana Martin
What Is GMO?
GMO is the abbreviation for genetically modified organism. A GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there.
Ripening Process Of GMO Tomatoes
To keep tomatoes fresh when they are put into the market, transferring them takes time which could rot some tomatoes. GMO scientists use a method of ripening that keeps the tomato fresh when it is put in the market. According to NY Times, the company of Flavr Savr Tomato picks tomatoes off the vine when they are still green and then trucked to industries where they are gassed with a substance called Ethylene which prevents bruising and spoilage of the tomatoes. Ethylene also increases the ripening stage of tomato's so they ripen in enough time to be shipped to the Markets fresh and spotless. Keeping the tomatoes with no bruises once they were in the market, which got people buying.
Knowledge Of Gentics Put Into GMO Tomato's
DNA Plant Technology of Oakland, California was the first Corporation to insert a Winter Flounder fish gene into a normal tomato. The plant scientists noticed that when this gene was into the tomato, the tomato had the ability to frost. The frosting of the tomato's were found to keep the tomato's fresh once they arrived to the market as well as the ethylene. Tomatoes weren't the only thing fish genes were put into. Strawberries as well as oranges were affected by this genetic in order to give the fruits frosting tolerances. This company was so determined to perfect their tomato that they spent 20 million dollars within a time period of 8 years until they got their GMO tomato right. These tomatoes have gotten so far that a GMO Salmon which is the first Genetically modified animal is waiting for government approval.
Marketing & Sales
The Flavr Savr company was a major success in the marketing industries. The people loved the GMO tomato even with knowing it was GMO by the label the company decided to put on the tomato, labeling, "Genetically Modified GMO." Every one of Flavr Savr's tomato that was put on the market was sold. Of course consumers did not fully understand what GMO was which made these tomatoes that were being sold ok. The label on the tomato was a friendly move when the company did not want to have unhappy consumers when they found out the tomato's they were eating were actually GMO. The DNA Plant Technology of Oakland, California, wanted approval of the GMO tomatoes that everyone was buying so they could have an open successful business. These tomatoes got so popular that markets started doubling the prices for what they were actually worth knowing the people would spend their money for these popular fruit.
Genetically Modified Tomato's Off The Market
There were many food scientists that tried to rebel against the GMO tomato. Their voice was that the tomato's could be harmful and it is better to be safe than sorry. This did not get much attention from the people. The attention to the genetically modified tomato came when the company was sold to a corporation named Monsato. Monsato took off all labels on the Flavr Savr tomato's then put them in the market. Monsato made more unlabeled genetically modified foods that came after the tomato. Monsato kept the labeling from the people in order to create a bigger profit. If the consumers liked the taste and didn't think or know they were GMO, they would be happy with the product. Later, consumers found out about this hidden secret and immediately started to protest against the labeling which had taken the tomato's off of the shelves for consumers. No GMO tomato's are sold to this day in the U.S.
Bibliography
Haase, Christian. "Genetically Modified Tomatoes." GMO Compass. Christian Haase, 27 Nov. 2006. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.
Von Radowitz, John. GM Tomatoes: Scientists Create Disease - Fighting Strain of Fruit. John Von Radowitz, 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.
Saito, Kazuki. "Covering Chemical Diversity of Genetically-Modified Tomatoes Using Metabolomics for Objective Substantial Equivalence Assessment." PLOS One. N.p., 16 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.
Winerip, Michael. "You Call That a Tomato?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 June 2013. Web. 09 Jan. 2016.