The crop is designed to produce higher levels of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is found naturally in tomatoes and widely consumed as a supplement to help manage high blood pressure. Unlike many natural health products available online or on CVS, there appears to be sufficient evidence showing that GABA supplementation does what it purports to do: reduce high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Anti-GMO groups have reacted to this innovation with unwarranted skepticism. British activist company GM Watch said this about the creation of Sanatech:

A genetically modified tomato designed to contain high levels of a sedative substance called GABA has been approved for marketing in Japan without any safety checks and despite opposition from consumer rights activists.

Besides the alleged lack of safety testing, GM Watch is concerned that the tomato may be a “very expensive fix” for a problem, as consumers can simply purchase GABA supplements if they wish. Let’s take a brief look at each of these concerns, none of which stand up to even a little examination.

Tomatoes not tested?

As Sanatech explains on its website, Japanese food safety officials regulate genetically modified crops with a relatively light touch. Their reasoning is quite simple: many food crops we grow today have had their genomes altered in various ways, either by traditional selection or by mutagenesis, which involves exposing the seeds to ionizing radiation or products. chemicals to eventually induce thousands of mutations.

None of these products are subject to more stringent regulation or labeling; some are even sold as “organic,” meaning you can pay extra for no extra benefit if you prefer. If these products don’t require more oversight, why would we apply more scrutiny to factories designed with more precise tools? “We wouldn’t do it,” Japan determined. As long as the new plant variety is not transgenic (does not contain “foreign” DNA), the law only requires the developer to report the product to regulators. No special label is required, although Sanatech voluntarily labels its tomato.

In short, no additional “security checks” are necessary. Foods and supplements containing GABA are safe to consume, and the breeding method that gave us these tomatoes is unlikely to introduce harmful mutations. In fact, many experts treat CRISPR and other so-called novel selection techniques (NBTs) as refined forms of mutagenesis. A little logic suggests that we don’t have to worry. But if you’re still curious, here’s a detailed look at how the tomato was made.

But it’s so expensive

Most new products aren’t cheap when they first hit the market, but that doesn’t stop us from buying them as prices come down. The same will likely happen in this case if there is a demand for the tomato. Sanatech began giving out plants for free in March to around 5,000 consumers, giving the company a good idea of ​​what the public thinks about its genetically modified vegetable. [1]

“At first, we had mixed reactions to genome-modified foods and we thought it would be difficult to bring them to market because consumers do not fully understand them,” said the president of the company, Shimpei Takeshita. “Corn [the] tomatoes have gained a good reputation among those who participated in the growing trials.

Who needs another tomato?

This was the last question from GM Watch. After all, there is no need to have another GM tomato when the public can “eat natural foods that contain GABA or support its production in the body.” But not everyone in the world has access to these foods, or tastes them. Therefore, as the scientists who selected the tomato noted,

The ideal material is considered to be such a thing consumed all over the world and has a high potential to produce GABA. The tomato is one of the most produced vegetables in the world and widely consumed in the daily diet.

However, Japanese buyers will not be forced to buy these tomatoes. If they sell, so much the better; if they don’t sell, that’s fine too. As the anti-GMO movement gradually loses its cultural influence, let’s hope that Sanatech’s tomato will be just one of many genetically modified products that consumers will have the choice to buy.

Remarks:

[1] Some people think of tomatoes as fruit, but it depends on how you classify them. I say they are vegetables because I would never put a tomato in my cereal or a banana in my salad.

Cameron J. English is the director of biosciences at the American Council of Science and Health. Visit their website and follow ACSH on Twitter @ACSHorg

A version of this article originally appeared in the American Council on Science and Health and is republished here with permission. The American Council for Science and Health can be found on Twitter @ACSHorg