The coming generation of gene edited foods are engineered to address consumer needs not just farmers’

[‘O]ne of the great benefits of using genome editing is we can do more than one thing at a time: we can create farmer, environmental and aesthetic benefits in a single great product.’ [says Pairwise CEO Tom Adams]

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[G]iven the controversial legacy of genetic modification from the 1990s and the resulting stringent regulations, do consumers want food that’s been tinkered with, even if it tastes nicer or is bursting with nutrients? ‘My own experience is that consumers like to try new products if they are attractive, taste good, have novelty, offer additional health benefits and are available through consumer-oriented organisations that canvass and respond to their customers’ feedback,’ [Cathie] Martin says.

Times are changing. Making our food more palatable could be what shifts the needle in making genetically engineered food more palatable in general. ‘I wouldn’t consider making food healthier or making food tastier as vanity,’ says Alexander Gutmann, spokesperson for Bayer. ‘The challenges for agriculture to feed a growing population while respecting the planet’s boundaries and coping with climate change are huge. [We] need all the tools available in the toolbox.’

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