The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that six varieties of potatoes genetically engineered by J. R. Simplot are as safe and nutritious as their conventional counterparts.
Simplot's Innate potato varieties including Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank and Atlantic potatoes have been genetically engineered to reduce the formation of black spot bruises by lowering the levels of certain enzymes in the potatoes.
Michigan State University Department of Crop and Soil Sciences David S. Douches said: "The Innate potato is the most promising advancement in the potato industry I've seen in my 30 years studying agriculture.
"This potato delivers significant health and sustainability benefits, all by using the potato's own DNA. Such advancements haven't been possible using traditional breeding."
In addition, the potatoes are engineered to produce less acrylamide by lowering the levels of an amino acid called asparagine and the levels of reducing-sugars.
Acrylamide is a chemical that is generated in some foods during high-temperature cooking, such as frying, and has been found to be carcinogenic in rodents.
Simplot employed modern biotechnology techniques to accelerate the traditional breeding process and introduce new traits by triggering the potato's own RNA interference pathway, which is a cellular process commonly used by plants and animals to modulate expression of certain genes.
In addition, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Environmental Protection Agency are reviewing a second generation of Innate potatoes with additional improvements such as increased resistance to late blight disease and better storability.
Image: Innate Russet Burbank potato (left) next to a conventional Russet Burbank potato (right) 30 minutes after peeling. Photo: courtesy of J.R. Simplot Company / Business Wire.
