Dave Wilkins

Once burned, the U.S. potato industry is still shy about embracing
genetically modified spuds.

Industry leaders want assurances that major buyers, consumers and U.S.
trading partners will accept genetically modified potatoes prior to any more
commercial releases.

"We are concerned that the realities of some international markets may
override the science and create market disruptions to important trade," the
industry's official position statement on biotechnology says in part.

Genetically modified potatoes haven't been grown commercially in the United
States for nearly a decade. The first GM spuds - Monsanto's New Leaf
potatoes - were a hit with some farmers when they were introduced in the
mid-1990s, but were rejected by some key markets.

New Leaf potatoes were engineered to resist Colorado potato beetles and
certain potato viruses. While some farmers welcomed the new technology, New
Leaf potatoes failed in the marketplace and were eventually scrapped.

Major fast-food chains resisted the idea of french fries made from
genetically modified spuds. Then in May 2001, Japan recalled millions of
dollars worth of snack food products containing dehydrated potatoes that had
been genetically modified. A costly U.S. dehydrated potato export testing
program was launched in response.

Industry leaders don't want a repeat of the disaster. They're taking a
cautious approach ahead of the expected release of a GM potato variety by
another major U.S. agricultural company within the next few years.

It's clear that enhanced breeding and biotechnology hold "tremendous
potential for potatoes," said John Keeling, executive vice president of the
National Potato Council, during an interview Friday, Jan. 9, at the Potato
Expo in San Antonio.

But it's also critical that any new GM potato varieties be approved by U.S.
regulators and foreign countries where the potatoes are likely to be sold,
industry officials said.

"Prior to commercialization of any potatoes derived from biotechnology or
intragenic technology, the sponsoring company should consult with those
companies that market U.S. potatoes and potato products in international
markets to develop a full understanding of the likely levels of consumer
acceptance," the industry's policy states.

Surveys conducted within the past year suggest there's growing public
acceptance of biotech food, even though the shift may be due largely to
higher food prices, said Sharon Bomer with the Biotechnology Industry
Organization.

"Over the past year, I think you have started to see a shift, even in
Europe," Bomer said during a presentation Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Potato
Expo.

A fall 2008 survey conducted by the International Food Information Council
indicated that 84 percent of U.S. consumers had a favorable or neutral view
of biotech foods, she said.
www.checkbiotech.org