The results of Europe’s first ever field trial of a gene edited variety of wheat have shown a major reduction of the potential carcinogen acrylamide when the flour is baked.
This new wheat variety has been genetically modified to reduce the formation of asparagine in the wheat grain.
When cooked, this amino acid is converted to acrylamide -- a potential carcinogen that food processors want to control.
Asparagine, the precursor to acrylamide, was 50 percent lower in the transgenic wheat than in the control variety, Cadenza.
When ground into flour and cooked, the amount of acrylamide formed was also significantly reduced by 45%.
Field trials are an important step in determining whether new GM wheat is feasible.
Indoor trials under glass have proven successful, but only by growing them in test plots can the research team be sure that new varieties are suitable for growers.
The results are timely, as the Genetic Engineering (Precision Breeding) Bill to allow the clearance and sale of genetically modified crops is in the final stages of passage through Parliament.
Professor Nigel Halford, who led the study, said it showed that gene editing to reduce asparagine levels in wheat grains worked as well in the field as it did under glass.
"This is important because the availability of low-acrylamide wheat could allow food companies to comply with changing regulations on acrylamide levels in foods without costly changes to production lines or reduced product quality."
"It could also have a significant impact on consumers dietary intake of acrylamide", Professor Halford said.
However, he explained that GM crops will only be developed for commercial use if an appropriate regulatory framework is in place.
Breeders also need to be confident that their investment in transgenic lines will pay off.
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