Commercially savvy and biotech rich company Monsanto is waging a war on the waist, with impeccable timing. Following hot on the heels of new FDA rules requiring food manufacturers to imminently reveal the amount of trans-fat on food labels, the US kings of the gene-pickings will develop soybeans capable of producing oil containing less trans- and saturated fats.
The issue of trans fats is gaining in impetus on both sides of the Atlantic as consumer groups call on food manufacturers to cut the trans fats in food products.
Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration ruled that by 2006 all manufacturers will have to clearly label the levels of these fats in their foods. In Europe, where there is currently no legislation in place for trans fats specifically, major manufacturers such as Nestle have already voluntarily cut the content.
Trans fats are produced through the hydrogenation of soy oil and are found to raise total blood cholesterol levels and levels of LDL cholesterol, or 'bad' cholesterol, that may contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Famous for launching genetically modified crops onto the world the biotechnology giant Monsanto said on Monday at the American Dietetic Association's annual meeting that it will develop a research platform to focus on reducing trans fats in soybean oil, and in time for the entry of the FDA rules.
"It is our hope that these enhanced soybeans will provide economic and environmental benefits for growers, and healthier agricultural solutions for consumers who are concerned about their intake of unhealthy fats," said David Stark, Monsanto's vice president of global industry partnerships.
Specifically, Monsanto - whose name alone is like a red rag to a bull for anti-GMO activists - will apply conventional breeding techniques to produce a soybean low in linolenic acid. The process of hydrogenation reduces the amount of linolenic acid in soy oil and creates trans-fatty acids. According to the company, this soybean would produce a soy oil that reduces the need for hydrogenation, and, in turn, could help reduce trans-fats in many foods and even eliminate trans-fats in some.
So where does biotechnology come in? Monsanto said that it will develop a soybean that will enable the production of a trans- and saturated fat-free soy oil, 'the first natural oil that could make the claim of being saturated fat-free,' said the company.
The new traits, once perfected, will be delivered as add-ons to Monsanto's popular herbicide-resistant GMO soybean seed, Roundup Ready soybean.
The cutting edge capacity of Monsanto, however much disliked by anti-GMO activists, could be leading the company to the brink of a new generation of GMOs - and arguably the acceptable face of biotechnology.
As health trends determined by the body-weary consumer continue to grip the food industry, foodstuffs offering health benefits will continue to rise in popularity. And maybe, just maybe, the biotech-cynical consumer may waive all negative sentiments about GMOs in light of the perceived health benefits.