Is lettuce genetically modified? Understanding the real situation of lettuce in one article

Lettuce is also known as leaf lettuce, goose-weed, wosun, and mai-tsai, among other names. It originated along the Mediterranean coast of Europe and was domesticated from wild species. The ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to eat it. It has a long history of introduction into China, and is cultivated more extensively along the southeastern coast, especially in the suburbs of major cities and in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. Now let us take a look at whether lettuce is genetically modified!

Is lettuce genetically modified?

Lettuce is not genetically modified. As for what is genetically modified, apart from the large-scale imported GM soybeans and corn, other GM vegetables are uncommon. Although China once approved other GM vegetables such as GM tomatoes, GM tomatoes have basically been phased out worldwide because their skins are too thick and their taste is poor.

What GM foods are there?

1. Tomato: Many people probably like eating tomatoes, and precisely because most people around the world like this vegetable, scientists have studied tomatoes more deeply, and found that tomato genes are relatively easy to transfer, so the tomatoes eaten today are slowly moving onto the path of genetic modification, and there is even a trend toward commercial production. It is worth mentioning that although GM production of tomatoes has been approved in China, large-scale commercial production has not yet begun.

2. Bell pepper: In 1998, approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, GM colored peppers were once allowed to be commercially cultivated, but GM colored peppers seem not to have been very welcomed by the public in China, and today GM colored peppers are basically no longer produced, though it cannot be ruled out that some merchants violate government regulations and plant GM colored peppers privately.

3. Corn: GM corn has already been allowed to be imported into China from the United States, and especially on January 7, 2015, a certain agricultural university even developed a GM corn variety with insect-resistant rice, and won an award for it.

4. Rapeseed: We all know that rapeseed can be used to produce oil, so many people who study agriculture focus their research on it. GM rapeseed is still subject to various controversies among governments around the world; ultimately it comes down to concerns about toxicity and allergies. Although the cultivation of GM rapeseed has not yet begun to be promoted in China, GM rapeseed is imported.

5. Soybean: When we go to buy cooking oil, we often find that some cooking oils are labeled “GM soybean”. In fact, GM soybeans have already begun to enter the Chinese market on a large scale, and are mainly used for processing cooking oil. As for whether GM soybeans are being sold on the market, it is unknown, so if you do not want to eat GM cooking oil, it is advisable to read the product label clearly before buying.

Characteristics of GM vegetables

1. Size: They lack the uneven appearance of traditional vegetables, and generally have a uniform size, a large and elongated shape, bright color, and a fresh and tender texture. For example, soybeans should be shaped somewhat like an animal kidney, a bit flat, with a waist line, but today's soybeans are all round, like peas, and have very high yields.

2. Taste: They lack the original, authentic taste of traditional vegetables. Whether it is the smell or the flavor before or after cooking, there is a clear difference from traditional vegetables. Traditional corn is generally yellow corn or white corn, with a slight sweetness, while the sweet corn popular now is extremely sweet, as if honey had been added. Sweet corn kernels have little waxy surface, a tender texture, and some are even glutinous.

3. Season: Non-local seasonal vegetables. A major characteristic of all kinds of vegetables is that they are strongly seasonal and regional. Some non-local seasonal vegetables are obtained by transferring cold-tolerant or high-temperature-tolerant genes, such as out-of-season winter jujubes.

4. Color: Different from traditional colors, such as colored cotton, black rice peanuts, and purple sweet potatoes.

5. Pests: Any vegetable that pests like to visit is not genetically modified, and any vegetable that pests fear, that is, one with no pests or very few pests, is absolutely genetically modified.

6. Yield: In the first few years, the yield of GM vegetables is generally considerably higher than that of traditional vegetables.

7. Seed saving: GM vegetables are generally very difficult to save seed from.