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You are in GM Crops and Food → Research and Development → Nutritionally altered crops

Nutritionally altered crops

Promises that new GM crops will be developed which have enhanced levels of vitamins and nutrients have been made for many years. Enhanced levels of vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids are being engineered into both high-value crops, such as tomatoes and lettuce, and staples, such as rice, soya, sorghum and potatoes.

Enthusiasts claim that these new crops will overcome public resistance to eating GM foods, by providing benefits directly to consumers, and also help people in poor countries who are nutrient-deficient.

However, there are technical problems with many of these crops and food safety challenges, because enhanced nutrients may typically harm some people whilst providing benefits for others.

Because GM technology introduces nutritional changes at the bottom of the food chain rather than in final, processed products, issues of traceability, liability and lack of reversibility arise. These issues may be particularly important for 'biofortified' staple crops, which could form a large proportion of people's diets, particularly in poor countries.

Recent Articles

• GeneWatch PR: Response to Monsanto's omega-3 GM soybean
  27th October 2009

• Network Health Dietitians: GM plants: Good for your health? (May 2009)
  

  Article by GeneWatch on nutritionally-altered GM crops

• Prospect: Revolution on Ice (December 2007)
  

• in 2004
  GeneWatch PR: GM animals high in omega-3 fatty acids: scientist ready to cash in via patent. GeneWatch UK response to paper published in Nature today
  5th February 2004

• in GeneWatch briefings
  GM Debate Briefing - GM crops and foods: good for your health?
  1st December 2002

• in 2000
  GeneWatch PR: New GM foods offer no consumer benefits
  13th April 2000

• in Briefings
  Briefing 10: The Next Generation of GM Foods: Good for Whose Health
  1st April 2000

  In a desperate effort to reverse its failing fortunes, the biotechnology industry and its supporters are putting their faith in the 'second generation' of GM crops. It is claimed that many of these will bring consumer benefits by offering foods with enhanced nutritional value (so-called 'functional foods'). This briefing reviews what is under development and what the risks and benefits may be.

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