USDA and FDA Regulations: "The Attack of the Killer Tomato"

Abstract

This paper will address the U.S. response to the present and future use of the genetic alteration of food through the analysis of the pioneer food product-- the Flavr-Savr tomato-- which was the first genetically altered food to be approved for the United States market. As the first bioengineered produce to clear regulatory hurdles, the Flavr-Savr required governmental agencies to adapt their current standards to a new realm of food and agriculture and to consider how genetically altered foods fit into the United States regulatory scheme. By tracing the regulatory history of the Flavr-Savr and examining both agency and public response to genetically altered food products, one can also project the likely regulatory future of genetically altered foods.