Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

The Soybean Solution

[This is a sidebar in the Forbes article in #msg-45259121. The stearidonic-acid soybean oil described here has already received GRAS status from the FDA (#msg-43578211), but it is still a couple of years away from commercialization.]

http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2010/0118/americas-best-company-10-gmos-omega3-soybeans-solution.html

›by Robert Langreth and Matthew Herper
01.18.10 [date of printed edition]

Could a genetically modified food prevent sudden cardiac death? That's the hope behind Monsanto's new biotech soybeans with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Many studies show that omega-3 fatty acids can prevent arteries from clogging and improve the electrical rhythms of the heart. Unfortunately, the only versions that have this benefit, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), come from fatty fish. Fish-based omega-3s have been tough to blend into food because they break down quickly and produce fishy flavors. People who want a vegetable alternative usually turn to flaxseed oil. This oil contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). But the body converts only a small portion of ALA into EPA and DHA.

Monsanto's solution is to insert two genes that cause soy plants to produce another omega-3 fat, stearidonic acid, instead of ALA. It is tasteless and stable. Once in the body, 20% is converted into EPA. That could make it ideal to add to all sorts of foods.

Al C. Gallegos of soy products maker Solae, Monsanto's partner, says the oil "is certainly going to be easier to work with." "It's a great step in the right direction," says William Harris, a University of South Dakota nutritionist who has studied the new oil. He compares it to adding vitamin D to milk. The soybeans could hit the market in two or three years.‹