News on GM Potatoes from the United States

Today, the House of Representatives passed S. 764, the Roberts-Stabenow Agreement, with bipartisan support. Tom Dempsey, President & CEO, SNAC International praised the membership for their hard work in getting this legislation passed.

Last Thursday, the United States Senate has passed, by a vote of 63 to 30, a bill that would create a national standard for labeling food made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

A landmark Senate agreement on national disclosure standards for genetically engineered foods would allow companies to disclose GMO ingredients through digital codes rather than on-package langcode or symbols.

The Two Blades Foundation (2Blades) announced a research partnership between 2Blades, The Sainsbury Laboratory, and J. R. Simplot Company to develop potato varieties with increased resistance to oomycete and bacterial diseases.

The Food and Drug Administration has completed its food and feed safety assessment of the J.R. Simplot Company’s second generation of Innate® potatoes. Simplot will still need to complete its registration with the Environmental Protection Agency for these potatoes before introducing them for sale in the U.S. marketplace.

The US Agency for International Development has awarded Michigan State University (MSU) a $5.8 million cooperative agreement to improve potato production in Bangladesh and Indonesia. Additional partners include the University of Minnesota and J.R. Simplot as well as in-country partners in both Bangladesh and Indonesia.

The J.R. Simplot Company is pleased that the USDA has deregulated the Russet Burbank variety of the second generation of Innate™ potatoes. Simplot is looking forward to the completion of the EPA registration and FDA consultation before the second generation of Innate™ potatoes can be introduced into the marketplace.

Calyxt, Inc., a Minnesota-based company focusing on developing healthier food products, today announced that it has started the field trials of its cold storable potato.

Snack Factory® Pretzel Crisps®, the world’s first flat-baked pretzel cracker, has announced that it has achieved Non-GMO Project Verification. Snack Factory will begin introducing Non-GMO Project Verified versions starting in Fall 2015.

The blog FrankenFoodFacts recently published a review of the Innate potato of Simplot Plant Sciences. This blog by Layla Katiraee, who holds a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and is a senior scientist at a biotech company, offers the most insightful review of the Innate Potato PotatoPro has seen so far.

Cellectis Plant Sciences, Inc. has announced today that the Plant Biotechnology Journal has accepted the publication of its peer-reviewed manuscript demonstrating the phenotypic validation of potato lines developed by inactivating a single endogenous gene responsible for sugar accumulation when stored at cold temperatures.

New research from an Iowa State University economist, Wallace Huffman, found consumers were willing to spend more for genetically modified potato products with reduced levels of a chemical compound linked to cancer.

The first line of J.R. Simplot Co.'s genetically modified potatoes has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration as safe for human consumption. The voluntary FDA safety review found that the potatoes are as safe and nutritious as conventional potatoes.

Snack Food Association CEO Tom Dempsey today urged Congress to approve legislation creating a federal standard for labeling food produced with genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

If the Innate GMO potato is going to take off, depends on Simplot winning over three major factions, Farmers, big buyers such as McDonald's and the Consumer

A potato genetically engineered to reduce the amounts of a potentially harmful ingredient in French fries and potato chips has been approved for commercial planting, the Department of Agriculture announced on Friday.

Keystone Food Products is pleased to announce that its signature line of snacks, The Real Deal Snacks, has received the Non-GMO Project Verified seal from the Non-GMO Project, an independent verification that assures a product has been produced according to best practices for GMO avoidance.

The J.R. Simplot Co. expects USDA approval for its genetically modified Innate potatoes within the next two months. Simplot Plant Sciences Director of Commercialization Kerwin Bradley outlined the strategy for marketing the potatoes at the Potato Association of America meeting in Spokane.