When scientists alter the genetic structure of an animal or plant in order to manufacture advantageous traits in the organism, they’re engaging in what is known as genetic modification. The resulting product is a genetically modified organism (GMO).
Scientists are creating new genetically modified foods all the time, and below you’ll find some of the latest foods that have been designed with the consumer in mind.
1. Non-Browning Apples
Most people don’t like eating fruit with flesh that has become discolored. Thankfully, this never happens to Arctic apples as they have been genetically modified to be resistant to browning. They went on sale in the US in November 2017.
2. Potatoes That Don’t Bruise
The Innate potato is less prone to bruising and black spots. Furthermore, when fried, it produces less acrylamide, a substance that is suspected to cause cancer, than conventional potatoes.
3. Wheat with Good Gluten
People suffering from celiac disease could soon have their cake and eat it. At least two groups are editing out the genes for the gluten proteins that damage the guts of people with this digestive disorder. One GM wheat is actually undergoing clinical trials in Spain.
4. Pink Pineapples
They’re pink because they accumulate lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red, instead of converting it into yellow beta-carotene as normal pineapples do. Lycopene is believed to have various health benefits.
The US gave the go-ahead for this sweeter variety of pineapple to be eaten in December 2016, but it’s yet to go on sale.
5. Omega-3 Rapeseed (Canola)
This seed from the rape plant is rich in beneficial omega-3 oil DHA. The idea is to market it first as fish food and then for human consumption. Last year, in the US, 1,200 hectares of rape plant was grown and harvested.
6. Lower-Saturated Fat Rapeseed Oil
Conventional rapeseed oil contains 7% saturated fats. A gene-edited variety will have half this amount.
7. High-Fiber White Bread
Gene-edited wheat gives us white flour with three times as much dietary fiber than standard white flour.
8. Bloodier Oranges
Blood oranges are extremely healthy as they’re rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins. Normal blood oranges only turn red if they experience cold nights while growing, but the GM strain is always full of anthocyanins regardless of the weather. These oranges are not yet on sale.
9. Bananas with a Boost
The matoke cooking banana is a staple food in Uganda. The GM variety contains provitamin A, a lack of which can lead to blindness. It’s currently being field tested in Uganda and could go on sale in 2021.
10. Golden Rice
Rice designed to reduce vitamin A deficiency has been under development for decades but has yet to reach the market. However, it received a big boost earlier this year when Canada, Australia, and New Zealand declared it safe for humans, meaning there would be no regulatory issues if those countries imported food containing small quantities of the rice.
Source: newscientist
Images: depositphotos
9 Great NASA Inventions That Took the World By Storm!
For around six decades, NASA have been inventing top-notch products. Here are nine great examples!
Why Do We Sometimes Hallucinate? Find Out Here!
In this informative TED-Ed video, Elizabeth Cox details the science of hallucinations.
These Cases Were Cold... Until Science Cracked Them
Technology and science aren't always about the future. Take a look at these cold cases that were solved only thanks to the advances of science.
9 Reasons You Should Start Eating More Beans
Many people avoid eating beans regularly because they give them gas, but they're extremely healthy. Here are 9 benefits of the humble bean.
From Beans to Bar: How Chocolate is Made from Scratch...
Ever wondered how chocolate was made from beans to bar? Well, this collection of photographs will reveal all.
An Alzheimer's Cure Might Just Be Around the Corner!
Impressive new research has discovered the earliest point in a neurodegenerative process that is thought to lead to dementia. Find out more here.
Sleep Inventions: 16 Gadgets to Help You Doze Off
If you frequently struggle with sleep, then trying these amazing new sleep innovations could help change your life.
These Expensive Megaprojects Proved to be a Waste of Time
Not all megaprojects are useful. Here are some worthless ones.
This Visual Shows the Science Behind the Shape of Rivers
A fascinating visual model that explains why and how rivers change their course.
INTERACTIVE: A Guide to the Workings of the Human Body
The human body is the most complex machine known to man, and the amount of things it has to do to keep us alive is incredible. View this interactive guide now.
6 Signs That Someone is Listening on Your Cellphone Calls!
With technology advancing all the time, there is the ever-increasing chance of our phones being tapped. Here are 6 signs that your phone could be tapped.
10 Classic Paradoxes fom Philosophy, Math, and Physics
in every sphere of human knowledge, we’re bound to run into inconsistencies. That’s how fascinating paradoxes like these are born.
Ever Wonder What Life Is Like if We Zoom In All the Way?
A selection of some of the winning photographs from Nikon's yearly macro photography contest.
I Bet You Didn't Have a Clue About These Human Body Facts!
The human body is the most complex machine known to mankind, but I bet you don't know these 10 amazing facts about it...
Toilets: The Greatest Medical Advancement in Human History
While toilets make some people laugh, they are actually a deadly serious medical advancement. This video explains what toilets mean to civilization.
Discover How Anesthesia Affects Your Body and Mind
If you were ever curious about how exactly anesthesia works, then this video has all the answers!
Watch This Man Build a Future Using Trash from the Past
In this video, you will see what this incredible community has been able to accomplish by building homes from recycled materials.
20 Useful Facts About the Science of Cooking
The science behind cooking is not often thought of, but it plays a crucial role in a dish turning out right. Here are 20 facts on the science of cooking.
11 Technologies to Potentially Achieving Immortality
Scientists are hard at work developing technologies that could extend our lifespans and even make us immortal. Here are 11 of them.
These Things All Say Something About Your Body Or Mind
There are many things that you can determine about your body and mind just by looking at yourself. Here are 10 things that your body says about you.
12 Earliest Versions of Tech Inventions We Use Every Day
Witness the evolution of 11 popular devices we use all the time by looking at how they all started...
The Facts You Didn't Know About the Human Body...
Discover 120 fascinating and surprising facts about your body you may not have known. Going over most of the body parts, you will learn so much you never knew about the body we all use.
15 Frightening Animals Early Humans Had to Live With
10 scary animals early cavemen in Africa had to deal with 200,000 years ago.
The Story of the Internet: Who REALLY Invented It?
Who really invented the internet, and why did they REALLY do it?
Your Voice is as Unique As Your Fingerprints
This fascinating video explains how this unique characteristic of humans works, and what makes our voices unique.
25 Pics Showing How People in the Past Imagined the Future
Let’s see how the people of the past imagined the future and find out if their fun predictions came true with these 25 vintage pictures
Understanding the Aging Process of Our Body Parts
Find out how every organ and body part in our body changes with age.
The Channel Tunnel - The 7th Wonder of the Modern World!
The construction of the Channel Tunnel is said to be an impossible feat!
12 Mind-Blowing Archaeological Discoveries Of 2022
Archaeologists made some remarkable discoveries in 2022. Here is a look at the most fascinating ones.
6 Remarkable Yet Overlooked Minds That Shaped Our World
These underappreciated geniuses deserve more recognition.
These 20 Tech Inventions Will Define the Next Decade
The future is here. Check out some emerging technologies that are all set to chane our world forever.
The Accidental Discovery of the World’s First Antibiotic
Not too long ago, it was fairly common to die of the simplest of wounds due to bacterial infection. Penicillin changed everything.
The BIGGEST Indoor Ocean in the World - Jaw-Dropping!
Did you know that the US Navy has a football field-sized indoor ocean that can create any wave?
25 Feats of Engineering that Leave Everyone Amazed
The amount of planning and sheer brain power it took to design and execute these structures, proving once again that there are true geniuses out there.
These Shoes Can Boost Your Walking Speed by 250%!
Robotic engineers have created shoes that, they claim, will increase your speed by 250%.
You Won't Believe That These Things Exist in Japan...
If there's one place on this planet that well and truly at the forefront of modern technology, it has got to be Japan, as these inventions prove...
When Under a Microscope, Even Ordinary Things Seem Alien
Have you ever given any thought to what every day things look like under a microscope? Some of these images are truly beautiful - see for yourself in the images below.
What’s it Like Using a 115-Inch TV?!
This colossal 115-Inch TV will transform your viewing experience forever.
What Would You Do if You Had an Extra Thumb?
This revolutionary invention has the potential to revolutionize the field of prosthetics.
INTERACTIVE: How Personal Items Have Changed Over Time
Some of you will be old enough to remember what many of today's objects used to look like. Here are 20 such objects. Click to see them as they used to be.
The Disappearing Computer: Revolution on a Personal Scale
What happens when we lose the physical large computer all together? This lecture explains what ahead for computers.
Erecting a Behemoth: Installation of an Offshore Oilrig
How do they install an offshore oilrig? This video will show you, step by step, how it is done.
Researchers Claim This Ingredient Can Cure Depression!
A preliminary study has suggested that magic mushrooms may be able to soothe the symptoms of depression. Read here to find out more.
10 Incredible Animal-Inspired Robots
Let's meet some incredibly realistic robotic animals.
Whatever Happened to that Hole in the Ozone Layer?
Let's embark on this enlightening journey to better understand our atmosphere's health.
Incredible: This Man Got the First Double-Arm Transplant
Felix Gretarsson got burned in both arms and needed the new ones. For that purpose, he went through history's FIRST 2-arm transplant.
New Study: A Pill that Works Out Your Muscles?!?
New study shows that, though we are not there yet, a pill can and probably WILL come out that works out the muscles and grows them.