Types of Genetic Modified Food...

• The Flavr SavrTM Tomato

The first genetically modified crop approved for commercial sale was the Flavr-Savr tomato. The product, developed by a company called Calgene, was approved by the FDA in 1993. It went on sale one year later, but in 1997, due to increasing public concerns and the need for specialized transportation equipment, production ceased. Calgene (which was subsequently bought by Monsanto) wanted to create a tomato with a vine-ripened taste that could withstand the rigors of shipping. What they created was a controversy that is still being debated a decade later.

• Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) Corn

Bt corn is a hybrid plant bioengineered to produce an insecticide. This induced insecticide provides effective, consistent control of pests such as the European corn borer and offers some protection against the fall armyworm and corn earworm. It does so at a lower cost than insecticides, and with better results. In August of 1995, both the EPA and the USDA approved Bt corn for commercial use as a human food product. The use of Bt corn has increased dramatically, from 1.4% in 1996 to about 30% of total corn acreage (26 million acres) in 1999.