The Flavor Saver® tomato was the first commercially grown genetically engineered food to be granted a licence for human consumption. It was produced by Calgene Inc. of Davis, California and submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992. It was first sold in 1994. FlavrSavr tomatoes were only available for a few years before production ceased. Calgene made history but went bust due to mounting costs.
The modified tomato was more resistant to rotting and the taste was unchanged. The amount of vitamins, protein, and mineral substances in the FlavrSavr tomatoes also remained the same as traditional varieties.
Unmodified tomatoes are picked before fully ripened. The antisense gene in FlavrSavr tomatoes means they can be allowed to ripen on the vine without the risk of rotting when they are transported to shops. The reason the tomatoes are resistant to rotting is because a gene that interferes with production of enzyme polygalacturonase is added. Polygalacturonase is responsible for cell walls softening during the fruit ripening.
The FDA stated that special labeling for these modified tomatoes was not necessary because they have the essential characteristics of non-modified tomatoes.
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