The sale of tomatoes, which have been bred using the "genome editing" technology that allows free manipulation of genes, to the general public began on the 15th via the Internet.
This is the first time in Japan that foods that have been bred by genome editing are sold and shipped to the general public.
The tomatoes that have been bred to contain a large amount of a component called "GABA", which is said to lower blood pressure, have begun to be sold using genome editing technology.
Unlike "genetically modified foods," "genome-edited foods" that use genome-editing technology do not incorporate another gene, so they are notified to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare that they are the same as conventional breeding and safety. It can be distributed by doing.
This tomato was reported to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare by the seed company "Sanatech Seed" in Tokyo last December, and was cultivated by contract farmers in Kumamoto Prefecture.
According to the company, the tomatoes are ready to be harvested, so from the 15th, we will accept orders from the general public via the Internet and start shipping.
The price is about 7500 yen for 3 kg, and the company will ship it with a sticker that says "Breeding with genome editing technology" on the package.
This is the first time in Japan that "genome-edited foods" have been sold and shipped to the general public.
Tatsuo Takeshita, Chairman of "Sana Tech Seed," said, "I thought it would be difficult to sell genome-edited foods as a product because there are still some parts that are not fully understood. It was well received when I was raised. I made every effort to sell it. "