Consumers will soon be eating gene-edited foods that have added nutrients.
Consumers will soon be eating gene-edited foods that have added nutrients, potatoes that do not turn brown, and mushrooms with a longer shelf life, scientists at The University of Queensland predict. UQ Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation Director Professor Robert Henry said gene technology was a potential game-changer for agriculture. "The next generation of genetically altered foods are here and waiting for regulatory approval," he said. "While most consumers don't understand what gene editing is, many also don't understand genetics or the conventional breeding techniques that have been delivering us new and improved foods for centuries." Professor Henry said there have been major advances in gene technology, and the regulatory environment needed to keep up. Gene editing involves a snip or tweak of DNA at precise locations on the genome, using technologies such as CRISPR. "Gene editing is the same as conventional breeding but a faster, safer and a more precise process - with benefits to human health as well as agriculture and food," Professor Henry said. He said gene editing had not attracted the controversy surrounding GMOs from consumers.
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