Biggest science news of 2021: Tomato becomes first CRISPR-edited food to go on sale to public

In September, GABA-enriched tomatoes in Japan became the first foods modified by CRISPR gene editing to go on sale to the public

Technology

15 December 2021

By Michael Le Page

Hiroshi Ezura, a professor of genetic engineering at the University of Tsukuba, with his genome edited tomato plant (Naoki Shoji). — Courtesy of Sanatech Seed

They may look ordinary, but in September these tomatoes became the first CRISPR-edited food to go on sale to the public. The tomatoes were developed by Hiroshi Ezura (pictured) at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. They are available only in Japan and have five times the normal amount of the nutrient GABA.

A lot more CRISPR foods could soon start to arrive on supermarket shelves in many countries. Next up could be a red sea bream edited to produce more flesh. Others in development include wheat that produces less of a carcinogenic substance when toasted, a lettuce that stays greener for longer and strawberries that are less likely to go mushy if damaged.

2021 in review

This year, we have taken on two massive existential threats, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the climate emergency, but there were more headline-grabbing stories that give us reasons for optimism going into 2022.