Cotton that has been genetically engineered so its seed is no longer toxic could provide protein-rich food to feed potentially half a billion people a year. A snippet from AlertNet is as follows.Texas A&M University plant biotechnologist Keerti Rathore and colleagues reported on Monday they have genetically altered the plant to reduce the levels of the toxic chemical gossypol in cottonseed, making it fit for human consumption.
"It actually tastes pretty good. It reminds me of chickpea. It's a fairly good-tasting seed," Rathore said in an interview.
"It tasted better than soybean, I can tell you that," added Rathore, who admitted he had not tasted it until being asked repeatedly about its flavor in the days before the research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The new-and-improved cottonseed could be ground into a flour and made into bread and other foods, Rathore said.
"Potentially, if all of the cottonseed today which is produced can be utilized for human nutrition directly, it can meet the protein requirements of 500 million people on an annual basis," Rathore said.
Link: AlertNet
Image: Grrrrl
Tags: Cotton | Seed | Edible | Food
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