GoGardenNews - Items of gardening and ecological interest — gene-editing

Science Daily reported, "Imagine a small fruit that tastes like a cross between a tomato and a pineapple, wrapped in its own natural paper lantern. That's the groundcherry (Physalis grisea) -- a little-known relative of tomatoes that's been quietly growing in gardens and small farms across North America for centuries. Now, this humble fruit is getting a 21st-century upgrade thanks to some cutting-edge genetic research."

Modern Farmer reports, J. R. Simplot "... announced this month that it will be working with the California-based Plant Sciences, Inc. to bring this style of gene-edited strawberries to market within a few years.

“'Gene-editing livestock to quickly produce desirable traits for improved food production is a viable strategy for helping feed the planet’s growing population,'” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said, but scientists argue the gene-editing technology involved has not been proven safe."

An article appearing in NewScientist.com revealed that "Crops sprayed with 'barcoded' spores could help trace food poisoning."

As usual, genetically engineered organisms are declared to be safe. But, really now. Would you want to eat these?

"Some argue that gene-edited foods are safer than genetically modified (GM) foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) specified in 2018 that most genetically edited foods do not need to be regulated. However, are these foods, which will increasingly appear on the table, really risk-free?"