Genetically Engineered Foods Coming to the Market

Source: Gene Exchange Newsletter from the Union of Concerned Scientists


What's Coming to Market

An update on commercialization

Approved for Sale (first 18 rows)

Awaiting Approval (last 15 rows)

The chart below summarizes agency actions on commercialization of genetically engineered agricultural products as of May 1996.

Product Company Altered Trait Purpose Sources of New Genes Agency Action [1] Approved for Sale/Name
Canola (Oilseed rape) Calgene Altered oil composition - high lauric acid Expand use in soap & food products California bay, turnip rape, bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved [2] EPA/Not required 1995 Laurical
Corn Ciba-Geigy Resistance to corn borer (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Corn, bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Approved 1995 Maximizer
Corn Mycogen Resistance to corn borer (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Corn, bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Approved 1995 NatureGard
Cotton Calgene/Rhone Poulenc Resistance to herbicide bromoxynil Control weeds Bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Approved 1995 BXN Cotton
Cotton Monsanto Resistance to boll-worms & bud-worm (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Bacteria USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Approved 1995 Bollgard
Cotton Monsanto Resistance to herbicide glyphosate Control weeds Arabidopsis, bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Approved 1996 Roundup Ready
Potato Monsanto Resistance to Colorado potato beetle (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Bacteria USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Approved 1995 NewLeaf
Soybean Monsanto Resistance to herbicide glyphosate Control weeds Petunia, soybean, bacteria, viruses USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Approved 1995 Roundup Ready
Squash Asgrow Resistance to two viruses Control two virus diseases Viruses USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Not required 1995 Freedom II
Tomato (cherry) Agritope Altered ripening Enhance fresh market value Bacteria USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Not required 1996 Unknown
Tomato Calgene Delayed ripening Enhance fresh market value Tomato, bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Not required 1994 Flavr Savr
Tomato DNA Plant Technolo-gy Delayed ripening Enhance fresh market value Tomato, bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Not required 1995 Endless Summer
Tomato Monsanto Delayed ripening Enhance fresh market value Bacteria USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Not required 1995 Unknown
Tomato Zeneca/ PetoSeed Thicker skin, altered pectin Enhance processing value Tomato, bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Not required 1995 Unknown
Bacillus Thurin-giensis Ecogen Toxicity to Lepidopteran insects (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Bacteria USDA/Not required FDA/ Not required EPA/Approved 1995 Crymax
Bacillus thurin-gienses Ecogen Toxicity to Colorado potato beetle (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Bacteria USDA/Not required FDA/ Not required EPA/Approved 1995 Raven
Pseudo-monas fluores-cens [3] Mycogen Toxicity to insects (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Bacteria USDA/Not required FDA/ Not required EPA/Approved M-Peril M-Trak MVP
Vaccinia virus vaccine Rhone Merieux Immunity to rabies Control raccoon rabies epidemics Rabies virus USDA/Approved FDA/Not required EPA/Not required 1995 Raboral
Canola Hoechst/ AgrEvo Resistance to herbicide glufosinate Control weeds Bacteria USDA [5] FDA/Approved EPA [5] No
Canola Monsato Resistance to herbicide glyphosate Control weeds NA [4] USDA [5] FDA/Approved EPA [5] No
Canola Plant Genetic Systems Male sterility/ Fertility restorer Facilitate plant breeding NA [4] USDA [5] FDA/Approved EPA [5] No
Corn DeKalb Resistance to herbicide glufosinate Control weeds Bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA [5] No
Corn Hoechst/ AgrEvo Resistance to herbicide glufosinate Control weeds Bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA/Approved EPA/Pending No Liberty Link
Corn Monsato Resistance to corn borer (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Bacteria USDA/Approved FDA [5] EPA [5] No YieldGard
Corn Plant Genetic Systems Male sterility Facilitate plant breeding Bacteria, virus USDA/Approved FDA [5] EPA [5] No
Corn Sandoz/ Northrup King Resistance to corn borer (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Bacteria USDA/Approved FDA [5] EPA/Pending No
Cotton DuPont Resistance to herbicide sulfonylurea Control weeds Tobacco, bacteria USDA/Approved FDA [5] EPA [5] No
Papaya Cornell Univ./ Univ. of Hawaii Resistance to virus Control virus disease Bacteria, virus USDA/Pending FDA [5] EPA/Not required No
Soybean Hoechst/ AgrEvo Resistance to herbicide glufosinate Control weeds Bacteria USDA/Pending FDA [5] EPA/Pending No
Squash Asgrow Resistance to three viruses Control three virus diseases Bacteria, viruses USDA/Pending FDA [5] EPA/Not required No
Bacillus thurin-giensis Ecogen Toxicity to Lepidopteran insects (Bt toxin) Control insect pests Bacteria USDA/Not required FDA/Not required EPA/Pending No Crystar
Rhizo-bium meliloti Research Seeds Enhance nitrogen fixation Increase yield in alfalfa Bacteria USDA/Not required FDA/Not required EPA/Pending No

[1] Action may respond to either voluntary or required submissions from companies.

[2] FDA approval means that FDA has completed consultations with a company and will allow the product to enter the market once regulatory requirements are met at other agencies. Except for the Calgene tomato approved in 1994, FDA consultations are abbreviated reviews of company safety assessments.

[3] The organism is killed before it is applied in the environment.

[4] Information not available.

[5] Status of consultations, if any, is unknown.