Calgene Inc. and the Pure Food CampaignEssay Preview: Calgene Inc. and the Pure Food CampaignReport this essayCALGENE INC. AND THE PURE FOOD CAMPAIGNOver the past decade, Calgene Inc. has invested $20 million in research to develop a rot-resistant tomato. Tomatoes make an enzyme called polygalacturonase (PG) that causes them to soften as they ripen. To avoid damage to tomatoes during shipping to, and handling in, supermarkets and to extend their shelf life, growers pick tomatoes when they are green and hard, then treat them with ethylene. Ethylene is the chemical that normally causes ripening on the vine. This process will eventually turn the green tomatoes red but they remain relatively pale, mushy, and tasteless. The technique that Calgene used to solve this problem is called gene-splicing. Calgene researchers developed a procedure to prevent the tomato from producing PG. They make an antisense, or mirror image, of the gene that carries instructions for the enzyme. They then insert the antisense gene into the tomatos DNA. This blocks production of PG and allows growers to wait until the tomato is turning red before harvesting. The result is a redder, firmer, more flavorful tomato.
Calgene intends to market the tomatoes as MacGregors Tomatoes and the seeds as FLAVR SAVOR (see Exhibit A). Given better texture, color, and taste, the product should be a major success with few problems, right? Unfortunately for Calgene, it is not that simple.
The smallest problem Calgene faces is cost. The process costs significantly more than standard tomato production and will require a 30 to 100 percent premium at retail. However, given the products advantages, this should not unduly restrict sales. A much more serious problem is the general environment in which the product is being launched. Many consumers are skeptical of modem science and are convinced that artificial products are inherently inferior and/or dangerous. There is a seemingly endless series of discoveries that products which were once considered safe can cause cancer or other problems.
The tremendous success of Jurassic Park reveals the publics fascination with science and DNA experiments gone amuck. Both consumers and farmers are concerned and are conservative. As one farmer stated: My family has been in this business for 65 years, and [m not about to crawl in a test tube with scientists. Businesses are also conservative. Campbell Soup Co. funded much of Calgenes research on the new tomato. However, Campbells will not use them until after they are popular with consumers: We are not jeopardizing this business. We clearly have to show ourselves and the consumer what the benefits are to justify moving ahead. Calgenes position is made more difficult by a genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (BGH) developed by Monsanto. When injected into cows, BGH can increase milk production by 15 percent. The potential health risk associated with BGH, though small or nonexistent, have
e a concern.[/p] But there is no question the BGH is to blame, as the government makes a decision on its labeling of BGH as an adulterating product, which is part of Monsanto’s “targeted” marketing scheme. We may not want to be exposed to BGH.
By now some parents and activists are asking us this question: Why should we vaccinate our cows? Their choices and the benefits that come with it are too important to me a question I must answer to. This issue may be controversial, but the question is how are we going to go about promoting cow protection. This is a subject that I think is at the heart of many of the concerns that the public has about a vaccine. We need to understand what it is about that we are doing that is at risk. A human vaccine that is effective even in children can help bring about more healthy and more healthy immune systems in the developing world. This is a long-term project. We are not selling them to people. At the same time, we have a history of providing medical and nutritional supplements, even in Africa and other parts of the world that are not designed to work well in children. It is not because of these supplements that the parents are concerned about vaccinations, it is because there have been years of neglect and abuse of those resources. There is only one vaccine that is effective. Our government needs to change its vaccine policy. All vaccines that are manufactured by Monsanto or any other private or governmental company are unsafe, as do all vaccines designed solely to prevent human exposure to dangerous organisms or viruses that threaten health. They cannot be manufactured, and many have been genetically engineered to have that effect. The public may not know it, but we know it because we have been exposed to those same viruses. It is time that regulators and scientists get to the bottom of the issue, and find the actual ingredients in those products. A true GMO would remove the ingredients and not only make it safe, but completely free from risk. We need to stop trying to sell it under the guise that it is safe. Our government should step up to the plate and address this very serious issue. I would rather help.
An important thing to understand in this controversy is that we live in a time of change that has brought about change within the industry. We continue to grow. We are all different. Many people are not as ready as some may think. With every passing year, people come to have their views expressed through the media or through the Internet. In recent quarters, people have increasingly come forward in their statements to say that they would like to see this industry be regulated and that we would be better off leaving it alone. So, I believe that at any one time, an organization that could contribute to promoting cow health and protect our future will be an asset to a healthy planet. The fact that we are seeing a global movement so active against this issue will serve as a warning and lesson to the public for the future of this industry.
To learn more about this important issue, please read the following materials found on the National Institutes of Health’s Web site: http://www.nih.gov/newlook/publications/pubmed_c_11369899.php