US Permits Genetically Modified Cotton as Human Food Source

 

The United States government has given its permission for people to consume genetically³ modified cotton.

The Reuters news agency says the government’s approval could lead to a new food product: a kind of cottonseed, filled with protein.

The genetically engineered cotton plant is the idea of scientists at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. They believe their product could help people around the world.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval on October 11. The ruling means that the cottonseed could be made available as food for people and all kinds of animals.

Keerti Rathore is a plant biotechnologist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research. He said he and other scientists are holding discussions with companies. They hope to have the plant available for purchase within about five years.

Rathore said the team will consider asking for government approval in other countries, starting with Mexico.

“Yes, we are fully⁴ aware of the resistance to GMOs in many countries, but I remain hopeful that counties who are desperate for food will (use) this technology,” he said.

Cotton is grown in more than 80 countries. Fiber⁵ from the plant is used to make cloth. Cottonseed is used to feed animals such as cattle and sheep that have more than one stomach chamber⁶.

Normal cottonseed can be harmful to humans and many animals because it contains high levels of gossypol, a poisonous chemical.

Rathore’s team used a technology called RNA interference to “silence” a gene¹, largely removing the chemical from the cottonseed. Gossypol was left at natural levels in the rest of the plant because it guards against insects and disease.

“With…this technology, cotton becomes a (two)-purpose crop. It requires no additional effort on the part of farmers or inputs⁷ or land for cultivation⁸. So, it will make cotton farming more sustainable,” Rathore said.

The genetic² engineering does not affect the plant’s fiber for use in cloth.

The U.S. Agriculture Department lifted a ban on production of the modified cotton plant last year before the FDA decision.

“Cottonseed can be consumed in many ways…the leftover⁹ meal with its high protein content can be used … in tortilla, bread and baked goods. The seed kernels¹¹ can be roasted and eaten as a snack,” Rathore said.

Many of the world’s cotton-producing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, have populations that face malnutrition¹². Rathore said that could change with the new cottonseed.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

consume – v. eating or drinking something

desperate – adj. having lost hope

fiber – n. plant material that cannot be digested but that helps you to break down other food

chamber – n. a small space inside something

cultivate – v. to prepare and use (soil) for growing plants

sustainable – adj. supportable or defendable

kernel¹⁰ – n. a whole seed

malnutrition – n. lack of nutrition

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

3 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 inputs   

n.输入( input的名词复数 )；投入；输入端；输入的数据v.把…输入电脑( input的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Uncheck the inputs checked for optimization in the previous stage. 不测试那些已经测试过的优化了的以前步骤的inputs.（变量参数）。 来自互联网
• Just in case, save in a file the inputs obtained at the previous stage. 以防万一，保存以前步骤获得的inputs（变量参数值）到一个文件中去。 来自互联网

8 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

9 leftover   

n.剩货，残留物，剩饭；adj.残余的

参考例句：

• These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
• Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。

10 kernel   

n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心

参考例句：

• The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。
• The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。

11 kernels   

谷粒( kernel的名词复数 )； 仁； 核； 要点

参考例句：

• These stones contain kernels. 这些核中有仁。
• Resolving kernels and standard errors can also be computed for each block. 还可以计算每个块体的分辨核和标准误差。

12 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。