Key Points
Pairwise wanted to retain the health benefits of mustard greens but make them tastier to the average shopper, so scientists at the company used the DNA-editing tool Crispr to remove a gene responsible for their pungency..
In the US, gene-edited foods arent subject to the same regulations as GMOs, so long as their genetic changes could have otherwise occurred through traditional breedingsuch as a simple gene deletion or swapping of some DNA letters..
The US Department of Agriculture reviews applications for gene-edited foods to determine whether these altered plants could become a pest, and the Food and Drug Administration recommends that producers consult with the agency before bringing these new foods to market..
People who dont eat enough vegetables are unlikely to change their habits just because a new salad alternative is available, says Peter Lurie, president and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington, DCbased nonprofit that advocates for safer and healthier foods..
Gene-edited foods like the new mustard greens may offer similar consumer benefits without the baggage of the GMO label..
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Gene-Edited Salad Greens Are Coming to US Stores This Fall
01, Jun, 24Biotech giant Bayer plans to distribute mustard greens that have been genetically altered to make them less bitter to grocery stores across the country.