5
THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • JULY 2017
NEWS •
More petunia varieties found
to have been ‘modified’
The list of petunia varieties and selections that are either
suspectedor confirmed as havingbeengenetically
modified, by containingDNA for orange flower colouration
whichdoesn’t occur naturally inpetunia species, has
now reached 56, including somemarketed as red, pink or
purple.
And as confirmation is sought onhow themodification
arrived in the varietieswithout breeders apparently
realising, aDutch independent scientific advisory
committeebelievesmore varieties of other colours could
be implicated too.
COGEM, theNetherlands commissionongenetic
modification, says that because it can’t be ruledout that
themodifiedpetuniaswere used as breedingmaterial, it’s
possible thatmore varieties are geneticallymodified than
‘currently envisaged’.
COGEM, which advises theDutchgovernment on risks
to humanhealth and the environment from the release
andmarketingof geneticallymodifiedorganisms, says
the gene that the affected varieties contain is assumed to
have originated frommaizebecause geneticallymodified
petuniaswere first produced thisway byGerman research
scientists 30 years ago.
It saysmany species of plants other thanpetunia
TGA survey discovers Brexit
makes shoppers thinkmore
about source of produce
BritishTomatoWeek, the annual promotion runby the
BritishTomatoGrowersAssociation inMay, prompted a
slot withTV chef Phil Vickery on ITVThisMorning aswell
as coverage indaily newspapers andmagazines.
The campaign this year was helpedby research
commissionedby the associationwhich found that almost
40%of British shoppers thinkmore about the originof
the fruit and vegetables they buy since theBrexit vote
last year and 31% saying they nowgive itmore thought
after stocks of some vegetables ran short followingbad
weather inSpain. But it also found that while around
60%of consumers believe it’s better tobuyBritish,more
thanhalf of those surveyed couldn’t remember where the
fruit and veg they had recently bought had come from.
More than half of respondents considered tomatoes an
‘essential buy’ in their weekly shop andmore than a third
naturally produce thepelargonidinpigment present in the
modified varieties. ‘There are no indications that flower
colour influences the fitness or ‘weediness’ potential of
theseplants,’ it says. ‘Since thebeginningof this decade,
over amillionGMpetuniaswithorange flowers havebeen
sold inEurope.’
Besides the gene involved in the flower pigmentation,
however, themodifiedpetunias contain a gene that
confers resistance to certain antibiotics, but which
COGEM says is also ‘widely present innaturally occurring
microorganisms’ and is used inbreeding as a ‘marker’
gene. It adds that at present it believes ‘GMgarden
petuniaswith an altered flower colour pose a negligible
risk to humans and the environment.’
TheHorticultural TradesAssociation said some of the
varieties hadbeen confirmed as havingbeengenetically
modifiedby testing undertakenbyUK authorities or the
breeder or supplier themselves.
One variety that hadoriginally been listed, SangunaPatio
Salmon, is no longer implicated havingbeen subsequently
testedby its breeder andbyDutch authorities.
The issue first came to light inApril following tests by
Evira, the FinnishFoodSafetyAuthority, onplants and
seedof orange-flowered varieties that hadbeen imported
fromGermany and theNetherlands. Geneticallymodified
plants are not allowed tobe grownormarketed in theEU
without authorisation, so affected varieties are having to
bewithdrawn from themarket.
regardedBritishproduce as fresher than imported.
TGA chairmanAdrianWilliams said: “Since our British
tomatoes cango frompicked toplate in less than 24
hours, our producemore thanmeetsBrits’ demand for
freshness and taste.”
Meanwhile, theBritishNutritionFoundation is calling for
food and nutrition education for teachers tobe included in
the government’s ‘obesity plan’ after research conducted
as part of its ‘Healthy eatingweek’ in June found
misconceptions about food, includinghow tomatoes
grow, are still common among schoolchildren.
While 40%of 11-14 year olds andnearly half of all 14-16
year olds understood that tomatoes grewon a ‘vine’,
around aquarter thought they came from under the
groundor wereproducedby trees. Despite knowing that
they should aim to eat at least fiveportions of fruit and
vegetables aday,many are still unclear about the kinds of
foods that count towards the target.
The foundation’s headof educationRoyBallam said: “We
can’t control what children access on the internet and
elsewherebut we can ensure that teachers are equipped
with accurate information.”
