Everything in the world is going designer these days and food is no exception. Chefs are coming up with exotic cuisines to cater to those who crave for exclusive stuff. But, how about designing the actual food products that go into these cuisines?
Yes, Israeli researchers have come up with genetically engineered tomatoes with lemon and rose flavors. When they presented these flavored tomatoes to over eighty people, almost all of them could recognize the flavors and aromas. While forty-nine of them preferred the flavored tomatoes, twenty nine passed them up saying that they would like unmodified tomatoes and the rest of them were neutral.
How did they do it? The transgenic tomatoes were induced with a gene called Ocimum basilicum that produces an aroma-making enzyme called geraniol synthase found in lemon basil. That’s how the tomatoes got the new aromas.
Are they nutritious? These genetically modified are light red in colour, which means it has less lycopene, the anti-oxidant that gives the bright red colour to normal tomatoes. But to offset the low levels of lycopene, these tomatoes have higher levels of compounds called volatile terpenoids, which possess antimicroial, pesticidal and antifungal qualities. These compounds may help tomatoes have a longer shelf life and may need no pesticides while they grow. In effect you get to have pesticide free tomatoes that are not necessarily nutritious.
Any takers? Genetically modified tomatoes have so far looked good only in the labs and have failed to attract both the chefs and ordinary cooks. People are in fact hesitant to even try out these GM fruits and vegetables as they are concerned about how they affect their health. In fact, the first genetically-modified tomato, called FlavrSavr, hit the US market in 1994 and was eventually withdrawn as they found no takers.
What do you think; would you buy these designer fruits and veggies?
