Minnesota-based food company Calyxt announced that restaurants in the state have received DNA-edited cooking oil made from soybeans.
The oil does not qualify as GMO, as soy has “only” suppressed two genes. Therefore, it is reported that this is the first time such a food product has entered commercial use in the United States.
New oil does not contain trans fats and can be stored longer than regular oil.
Calyxt officials say they cannot disclose the names of the first restaurants to use the oil for competitive reasons, but CEO Jim Block said the oil is already in use and is being actively consumed by people.
If there is a demand for a new product, the company plans to start work on other food items with edited DNA.
Already, Calyxt is considering projects such as mushrooms without brown pigment, more fibrous wheat, improved tomatoes, and rice and canola (rapeseed), which do not absorb herbicides and other contaminants from the soil.
Unlike conventional genetically modified products, which are created by introducing "foreign" DNA, the gene editing technique looks safer, since it is working with the object's own genes, which are activated or suppressed depending on the target.
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GMO products have a scandalous notoriety that often hinders widespread distribution, which is why Calyxt proudly and repeatedly emphasizes that the new oil is not GMO. For the same reason, the company sees a great future behind the new method.
GMO corn and GMO herbicide soy have been cultivated in the United States for many years. Also GMO salmon is nearly approved for general sale.
Experts say GMO foods are completely safe for health and do not pollute the environment. Nevertheless, the fears among the population about GMOs do not subside and even intensify. That's why a food company in Minnesota decided to do this gene-editing experiment.
So far, we only know that the first customer of the new oil from Calyxt was an unnamed chain of restaurants and cafes in the Midwest. The oil is used there in sauces and for frying. That said, it remains unclear whether customers of these restaurants are being told they are consuming gene-edited soybean oil or not.