b"The Future of the Purple GM Tomato Lies with ConsumersConsumers will have access to the only GM tomato available on the market in 2023. Ally RodenTOMATOES ARENT NEWto the methods and technol- Tomato has been developed for over 15 years, and we're now ogy of gene modification. In fact, a GMO tomato was one oflooking to commercialize it as what will be the first GMO tomato the first GMOs in the produce sector available for sale in 1994,since the Flavr Savr, and the only one available on the market, says following approval from the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationNathan Pumplin, CEO of NPS U.S.-based commercial business.(FDA). This special tomato, known as the Flavr Savr, was devel- Developed by Cathie Martin, a professor at the John Innes oped by Californian company Calgene with consumers in mind.Center, this GMO tomato contains genes made of powerful anti-The tomato was genetically modified to extend its shelf life andoxidants called anthocyanins. Martin began her research on how bring consumers a better tasting and longer lasting tomato. to increase the antioxidant capacity of tomato in 2002 where she Despite massive steps forward for genetically modified foods,discovered that genes in snapdragons could turn on the synthe-Flavr Savr was not a commercial success and ultimately wassis of purple pigments.taken off the shelves in 1997 due to high production costs and financial troubles, according to Oregon State University. Over theRegulatory Approval Unlocks the Future of the Purple following 20 years, there were various successful GMO prod- Tomatoucts, but not in tomatoesyet this is about to change thanksOn Sept. 7, 2022, the USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection to experts at Norfolk Plant Sciences (NPS) that have set out toService (APHIS) announced its decision to allow U.S. home bring a new GM tomato to market. growers to purchase and grow high-anthocyanin purple tomato seeds in 2023. The purple tomato is no longer restricted due to regulations that limit Movement of Organisms Modified or Produced through Genetic Engineering.This milestone regulatory decision was crucial for NPS, as the nature of the regulatory framework in the past has made the process nearly impossible for small companies with products like NPS purple tomato to go through the regulatory process with-out spending an extravagant amount of money.72/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2023"