USDA approves modified potato, eVGN November 2014

According to USDA, a potato that’s been genetically engineered to reduce the amount of a potentially harmful ingredient in french fries and potato chips has been approved for commercial planting.

The potato’s DNA has been altered so that less of a chemical called acrylamide, which is suspected of causing cancer in people, is produced when the potato is fried.
The new potato also resists bruising, a characteristic long sought by potato growers and processors for financial reasons. Potatoes bruised during harvesting, shipping or storage can lose value or become unusable.

The biotech tubers were developed by the J.R. Simplot Co., a privately held company based in Boise, Idaho, that was the initial supplier of frozen French fries to McDonald’s in the 1960s, and is still a major supplier.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said in its announcement “we are advising the public of our determination that potatoes designated as Innate potatoes which have been genetically engineered for low acrylamide potential and reduced black spot bruise are no longer considered a regulated article under our regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms.

“Our determination,” according to APHIS, “is based on our evaluation of data submitted by J.R. Simplot Company in its petition for a determination of non-regulated status, our analysis of available scientific data and comments received from the public in response to our previous notices announcing the availability of the petition for non-regulated status and its associated environmental assessment and plant pest risk assessment.”

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