Gene-edited wheat reduces levels of cancer risk chemical when cooked

Field trials have shown that wheat developed using CRIPSR gene editing has lower levels of acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic compound, when cooked at high temperatures.

To Claire Wilson

Initial field trials of gene-edited wheat showed that it produced less of a potentially carcinogenic compound called acrylamide when baked.

Acrylamide in food is not a major concern for most people, but many countries have restrictions on how much it can be in processed foods, so some manufacturers have decided to reduce it in products such as bread, biscuits and pastries. I am interested in lowering acrylamide levels. .

Acrylamide is formed by a chemical process known as the Maillard reaction, especially when the amino acid asparagine, found in starchy foods, is cooked at high temperatures.

Studies in rodents have found that acrylamide causes cancer, but levels that are dangerous to humans are unknown. Good health advice, for example, is to avoid darker toast and fries.

The amount of asparagine in starchy crops such as wheat and potatoes varies according to growing conditions. Many foods already violate acrylamide guidelines, but food authorities are likely to be stricter about this in the future, says Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, England, which is developing gene-edited wheat. says Nigel Halford of

In 2021, Halford’s team used CRISPR gene editing to delete one of the two genes required to make asparagine from common wheat (summer wheat). When grown in a laboratory, this wheat produces flour with about half the level of asparagine.

This group now reports similar results when wheat is grown in an outdoor field.

Genetically modified foods are widely consumed in the United States, Australia, and many other countries. Some people’s fear that genetically engineered foods are being sold governs policy.

But in the UK, where several EU laws are being phased out after Brexit, new legislation now passing parliament does not require foods containing wheat to be labeled as genetically edited. Permission to sell wheat.

“We have support from many plant breeders, but they are nervous about the idea of ​​using gene editing,” says Halford.

Simon Griffiths of the John Innes Center in Norwich, UK, said the hearing said most people thought that plants that were genetically edited in this way (with a single gene removed) were not considered genetically engineered foods. It says it believes it is less risky than the first generation. genetic material. “They feel good about it,” he says.

Low asparagine potatoes are already on the market in the United States. It is also less prone to bruising.