Genetically modified organisms have a very long history that stretches well beyond what the average person might imagine. Although genetic engineering specifically was not developed until the 1970s, humans have been using traditional methods of selective breeding techniques for thousands of years in order to modify the genetic makeup of agricultural crops to obtain desired effects such as a specific color, size, or use. Traditional methods for obtaining such results have been accomplished through cross breeding and selective breeding. Both techniques are still used today, however, with the help of genetic engineering, we are now able to achieve the intended results of such traditional methods in a fraction of the time. (The Food and Drug Administration, 2020). This was first made possible in 1973 due to discoveries made by biochemists Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen who were able to develop genetic engineering by inserting DNA from one bacteria into another. Several decades before their discovery, however, plant breeders in the 1940s had learned to use radiation and chemicals to randomly alter an organism's genetic material. In 1982, the FDA approved the first GMO consumer product developed through genetic engineering. This product was insulin which is now used to treat diabetes. In 1992, the FDA then announced that foods made from GMO plants are subject to the same requirements and safety standards as food that is made from traditionally bred plants. This paved the way for the first genetically modified foods to hit the market in the 1990s. The very first to hit the market was a GMO tomato in 1994 which federal agencies proved to be as safe as traditional tomatoes. This was then followed by the release of summer squash, soybeans, cotton, corn, papayas, potatoes, and canola. Not all of these are still available on the market today. Then in 2005, GMO alfalfa and sugar beets became available for sale within the United States. Following this, the FDA approved an application for the first genetic modification in an animal for use as food in 2015. The approved animal is the AquAdvantage Salmon which is a genetically modified Atlantic salmon. The AquAdvantage Salmon is able to grow to the size necessary to reach the market at a significantly quicker pace than traditional Atlantic salmon due to the implementation of an rDNA construct that contains the growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon which is under the control of a promoter from an ocean pout fish which turns on the expression of the growth hormone gene (The Food and Drug Administration). Lastly, in 2017 genetically modified apples became available in the United States. (The Food and Drug Administration, 2020).
Sources:
Image by the Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/science-and-history-gmos-and-other-food-modification-processes
The Food and Drug Administration. (2020, April 22). Science and History of GMOs and Other Food Modification Processes. The Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/science-and-history-gmos-and-other-food-modification-processes?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=feedyourmind2020
The Food and Drug Administration. (2020, 4 15). AquAdvantage Salmon Fact Sheet. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animals-intentional-genomic-alterations/aquadvantage-salmon-fact-sheet