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t_Articles
If you peeked into a supermarket of the future, you
would find an interesting array of products. Foods that last longer,
taste better and are more nutritious than the foods you currently eat.
And an even greater variety of foods all year round. These products will
be made possible through biotechnology - and some of them are already
here.
But when did biotechnology begin?
For centuries, farmers grew plants to produce foods
with characteristics they desired - better taste, higher yield or
greater resistance to drought or frosts. In fact, history shows that
5,000 years ago in Peru, potatoes were grown selectively. Plants which
produced potatoes with desirable characteristics, such as higher yields
were used to propagate future plants. And more than 2,000 years ago,
tree grafting was used by the Greeks to obtain a more abundant supply of
fruit in orchards.
Through trial and error, farmers have learnt to
replant seeds from their most successful crops and to cross pollinate
crops. In this way, farmers change the genetic makeup of plants to
obtain traits that they desire. They then raise the plants and select
again and again until they produce a new food variety. These processes
cause genetic changes in the plant.
Traditional breeding such as this takes many years
before the final variety is produced. Each time one plant pollinates
another plant, thousands of genes cross together. Along the way, less
desirable traits, and the genes that cause them, pass across together
with the desirable ones. It can take several generations of breeding and
up to 10- 12 years before farmers are able to establish the traits they
desire in the plant and breed away less desirable traits.
According to Dr Sutat Sriwatanapongse, Deputy
Director at Thailand's National Center for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development
Agency, food biotechnology offers a faster and more reliable method of
establishing new traits in plants to provide foods that are better
tasting, more nutritious or higher yielding.
What is biotechnology?
"Biotechnology involves any technique that uses
living organisms or parts thereof to make or modify products, to improve
plants or animals or to develop microorganisms for specific uses," said
Dr Sriwatanapongse.
Biotechnology uses living organisms - plants or
bacteria - to develop new products for food, medicines, industrial
ingredients, alternative fuels or use in waste management.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic code in
living organisms. About 25 years ago, scientists began to unravel the
mysteries of DNA and identify ways to speed up traditional breeding
methods.
"Agricultural scientists today can identify the genes
that carry specific traits they want - such as disease resistance or
better nutrient content - and transfer those genes to a plant," said Dr
Sriwatanapongse.
What about the safety factor?
As with any technology that concerns food, safety is
top of the list. "Biotechnology doesn't change the composition or
nutritional quality of a food unless that is a trait which is
specifically desired," said Professor Dr Mohd Ismail Abd Karim of
University Putra Malaysia. "And foods produced using biotechnology are
subject to the same strict safety regulations as any other food in the
marketplace."
"Among issues that manufacturers of genetically
modified foods and ingredients must address are changes in nutrient or
nutritional levels, changes in the presence of allergens or toxins,
potential environmental effects and history of safe use. For substances
that differ significantly from existing foods or ingredients, special
testing will be required," said Professor Ismail.
Dr Sriwatanapongse added, "There is no evidence that
the technology used to create genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is
damaging to human health in any way."
Feeding the world
World population is expected to double to more than
10 billion people by the year 2050. Food biotechnology can help meet the
ever-increasing demand for food.
"By increasing a crop's ability to withstand
environmental factors, growers will be able to farm in parts of the
world currently unsuitable for crop production," said Dr Sriwatanapongse.
"Along with additional food, this could also provide economies of
developing nations with much-needed jobs and greater productivity."
Some of the products already on the world
market that have been enhanced through biotechnology include:
- Corn, soybeans and potatoes that require fewer applications of
pesticides/herbicides
- Tomatoes that soften more slowly and remain on the One longer,
resulting in more flavour and colour
- Soybeans that are lower in saturated fats, higher in oleic acid
and offer better frying stability without further processing
- Virus-resistant papayas that make the crop more dependable
- Capsicums that are tastier and remain firmer after harvest
Some of the benefits of food biotechnology
Foods are
being developed to contain more vitamins, minerals, protein or less
saturated fat. For example, fruits and vegetables with higher levels
of antioxidant vitamins can be produced to help reduce the risk of
certain cancers and heart disease.
Disease resistance: By using biotechnology, plants that resist
disease, pests or insects can be developed. This means that less
chemical inputs, such as pesticides, are required.
Weather resistance: Plants can be developed to better
withstand extreme weather conditions such as drought or frosts. This
means more fresh fruits, vegetables and grains all year round.
Better quality: Fruits and vegetables that ripen on the vine
are being developed. This means better-tasting foods that are not as
easily spoiled or damaged before being eaten.
New food varieties: Foods can be cross-bred to produce new
varieties. For example, a "broccoflower" is a cross between a broccoli
and a cauliflower.
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