The Food and Drug Administration has approved a genetically engineered form of cotton that makes its seeds edible without hurting the valuable fiber. Researchers believe the seeds can become a cheap source of protein for people and animals, Jessica Fu reports for The New Food Economy.
The U.S. is a powerhouse cotton producer, bringing 9.6 billion pounds worth $7 billion to the world market every year. Most of its value is in the fiber; seeds have been of little use because they contain a toxic chemical called gossypol. The chemical can trigger severe respiratory distress, impaired immune and reproductive function, and death in humans. Cotton seeds are used in some cattle feed, a few insecticides, and for cottonseed oil, production of which removes gossypol, Fu reports.
Keerti Rathore, a plant-biotechnology professor at Texas A&M University, has been working for the past two decades to change that. It turns out that cotton seeds are rich in proteins, but Rathore found it difficult to reduce gossypol levels in seeds but not in the rest of the plant, where it serves as a natural insecticide, Fu reports.
After years of experimentation, Rathore submitted a low-gossypol cotton to the FDA and the Agriculture Department for approval in 2017. "Last year, USDA deregulated the genetically engineered cotton, giving farmers free rein to grow the crop. FDA’s move this month gives producers permission to use it as an ingredient in human food, as well as animal feed," Fu reports.
It will still be a while before the new seeds are on grocery and feed-store shelves. Seed companies must agree to sell them, and farmers may be slow to grow a new form of cotton. And, "beyond the bureaucratic aspects, low-gossypol cotton seeds also face the challenge of overcoming the cultural stigma surrounding genetically modified foods," Fu reports.
The U.S. is a powerhouse cotton producer, bringing 9.6 billion pounds worth $7 billion to the world market every year. Most of its value is in the fiber; seeds have been of little use because they contain a toxic chemical called gossypol. The chemical can trigger severe respiratory distress, impaired immune and reproductive function, and death in humans. Cotton seeds are used in some cattle feed, a few insecticides, and for cottonseed oil, production of which removes gossypol, Fu reports.
Keerti Rathore, a plant-biotechnology professor at Texas A&M University, has been working for the past two decades to change that. It turns out that cotton seeds are rich in proteins, but Rathore found it difficult to reduce gossypol levels in seeds but not in the rest of the plant, where it serves as a natural insecticide, Fu reports.
After years of experimentation, Rathore submitted a low-gossypol cotton to the FDA and the Agriculture Department for approval in 2017. "Last year, USDA deregulated the genetically engineered cotton, giving farmers free rein to grow the crop. FDA’s move this month gives producers permission to use it as an ingredient in human food, as well as animal feed," Fu reports.
It will still be a while before the new seeds are on grocery and feed-store shelves. Seed companies must agree to sell them, and farmers may be slow to grow a new form of cotton. And, "beyond the bureaucratic aspects, low-gossypol cotton seeds also face the challenge of overcoming the cultural stigma surrounding genetically modified foods," Fu reports.
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