6-13 IAN GMO Spuds

 GMO spuds. Are they possible?

 With the recent hullabaloo in South Korea and Japan over some genetically modified wheat, I wondered what was next. I was talking with Frank Muir, executive director of the Idaho potato commission about a totally unrelated topic, but since Frank is such a great communicator, while we are on the horn I thought I would throw in a question.  “Is there any move toward genetically modified potatoes?  As you know there are organizations that are working towards a variety that would eliminate some of the issues that can affect potatoes. One of the concerns is bruising. Obviously potatoes are subject to bruising and if there is a way to eliminate that, they would like to figure it out. The second area is the gene that leads to acrylamide which its naturally occurring in carbohydrate foods that are cooked at high temperatures. If you turn off certain genes you can actually minimize that trait that leads to acrylamide. These are complicated issues for consumers. Organizations that are developing those varieties are working closely with the end users that might have an issue with them.