gmo potato high protein

[DarJones]

Found this on yahoo earlier. Since yahoo links tend to disappear with time, I am quoting the entire article.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Researchers in India have developed a genetically modified potato that is packed with up to 60 percent more protein and increased levels of amino acids.
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In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday, the scientists expressed hope that the transgenic potato would find more acceptance because it uses a gene from the amaranth seed, another edible crop.

"Because potato constitutes an important part of the diet of many people in developed as well as developing countries, it is apparent that this can add value to potato-based products with enhanced benefits for better human health," they wrote.

Amaranth is a tall, broadleaf plant that produces tiny seeds. It was a major food of the Aztecs and earlier American cultures, and started to be grown as a grain crop in the United States in the late 1970s.

One of its genes, Amaranth Albumin 1 (AmA1), is regarded as agriculturally important because it endows the plant and its seeds with high protein levels and higher concentrations of several essential amino acids.

Led by Subhra Chakraborty at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research in New Delhi, the scientists inserted the gene into seven types of potatoes and then grew the transgenic potatoes over two years.

They found that the transgenic potatoes contain between 35 and 60 percent more protein than unmodified potatoes. They also contain increased levels of amino acids, notably lysine, tyrosine and sulphur, which are usually limited in potatoes.

These had been fed to rats and rabbits with no adverse consequences, the scientists said.

More than a billion people worldwide consume potatoes daily.

DarJones

[spacecase0]

I wonder if eating that would take my amaranth allergy and make sure that I could not ever eat potatoes as well.
I don't get why they don't think that regular breeding is not good enough

[DarJones]

The answer to that question is already there in the article Space. The Albumin gene inherently has to be a protein initiator gene. Since you are made of bits of protein, fat, and water, you can't be allergic to it.

I would be interested in seeing if they have tried moving the albumin gene over to corn. While there is a lot of variation, as a rule, corn is deficient in protein. Amaranth by comparison can run as much as 30% protein by dry weight of the seed.

DarJones

[Tom Wagner]

Funny, in one of my potato plots I have some grain amaranth growing for seed increase. Both crops are doing well. I hope to get that crop built up for food security reasons..I eat enough potatoes but very little amaranth grain as yet.

Ever hear or read this statement?

Almost all the protein content of a potato is contained in a thin layer just under its skin

If that is actually the case..why not eat more tiny potatoes to get that extra amount of skin surface to flesh ratio?

Further down I posted some links that add to the story started by snickering bear. I even linked to some supporting data on the amaranth gene that was inserted into those varieties listed.

We don't have, nor will be ever have, those potato varieties that are GMO's with the extra protein. The United States and organic folks like myself will collectively stop that nonsense. We already have potato varieties that can increase the protein level by near 50% with good old-fashioned plant breeding.

What is the evidence of that? Clearwater Russet, (referenced below) has around 38% more protein than Russet Burbank, one of most widely grown potato varieties. There are other select clones that go even higher. Clearwater Russet was bred in 1995 and one of its parents..Bannock Russet was bred nearly 30 years ago with just slightly less protein.

As recently as 6 years ago I had thousands of seedling tuber families with those and other high protein lines as parents. I have many TPS lines that are filially 2, 3, 4 generations derived from those high protein lines. Not having the lab proof of high protein content does not stop me from making the educated guesses of maintaining many recombinations, sib crossings, for the contingency of someday having the grant money to test my many clones for the protein content levels. I am sure I have some good candidates already. By growing clones with enhanced breeding for building up homozygous possibilities, and selecting for high tuber numbers of "B" size potatoes...who knows? I may already have some that would give a run against the clones in India. Back that up with improved flavor, better late blight resistance, and organic friendly growers...I may be on to something.

I could even jump start my potato sales of tubers and true seed by initiating a protein sub class. I have millions of TPS that could be relegated to that category. I could even sell special amaranths that folks could plant for themselves to supplement their diets along with my purported higher protein potato groups.

The whole idea of my TaterMater forum is to share enough ideas with people so that higher nutrition potatoes can see the light of day. My Negro y Azul was tested by the labs in Prosser, WA for its anthocyanins and it was off the charts compared to other varieties. My high carotenoid potatoes are yet another venue. I have lines that are high in minerals like iron and I suppose that someday I could combine many of those high nutrients into single clones. And soon!


Here are some links that support the link from Darrel

www.deccanherald.com/content/98184/soon-gm-potato-60-per.html

Soon, a GM potato with 60 per cent more protein Kalyan Ray New Delhi, Sept 20, DHNS
In what may change India’s future nutritional landscape, scientists have genetically transformed seven common potato varieties to make them richer in protein and essential amino acids.
Once approved for the market, the GM potatoes can be one of the protein sources for millions of Indian with protein deficiency, who consume potato as a staple food. However, it may take many years as one more regulatory hurdles have to be overcome.

Researchers at National Institute for Plant Genome Research, Delhi, which first transformed potato a decade ago, tried their hands on popular varieties this time. The protein content was up between 35 and 60 per cent—higher than what they achieved last time.

“The most vital difference is all are commercial varieties unlike last time when we genetically modified a non-commercial variety,” leader of the team and NIPGR founder Asis Datta told Deccan Herald. The gene (AmA1) came from Amaranth plant.

The transformed varieties are Chipsona 1 and 2, Jyoti, Sutlej, Badsah, Bahar and Pukhraj. A two-year trial in collaboration with the Central Potato Research Institute, Modinagar, showed that in all varieties, the protein content went up between 35 and 60 per cent. The gain was the highest in Sutlej and Chipsona 1.

If a regular potato has one gm of protein, the protein-packed ones would have 1.5-1.6 gm. Even though the increase appears to be marginal, researchers claim this is the best bet on GM potato as the protein quality is very high.

Th other initiatives to make protein-rich GM potato led to “an imbalance of amino acid profile in transgenic crops,”they reported in Tuesday’s issue of “Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.”

Asked why potato was transformed in the first place, as there are other sources of edible plant proteins, NIPGR scientist Subhra Chakraborty said since potato constituted an important part of the diet of many people in many countries, the gene was introduced into potato.

“Potatoes are grown as vegetable for consumption and also as raw material for many processed foods worldwide. World production-wise it is the first amongst vegetable and fourth amongst all food crops,” she said.

But potato’s nutritional value is somewhat compromised as itlacks lysine, tyrosine and Sulphur containing amino acids. These deficiencies are not only made up in GM potatoes, but it also brings more proteins in the tuber.

“If the protein content goes up by 50 per cent its welcome. But do we need every single crop to be transgenic? Also one has to be careful on the safety as well as transparency during the regulatory approval,” said Suman Sahai, who heads Gene Campaign, an NGO.
The GM potatoes were approved by the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation. It has to be cleared by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee under the Union Environment Ministry before commercialisation.

www.newscientist.com/article/dn19473-transgenic-indian-superspuds-pack-more-protein.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=life

Transgenic Indian superspuds pack more protein
• 20:00 20 September 2010 by Debora MacKenzie
• For similar stories, visit the Food and Drink and GM Organisms Topic Guides
A genetically modified (GM) potato has been created that makes up to 60 per cent more protein per gram than ordinary potatoes. But even with that help spuds don't contain much protein, so that's not the most interesting part: in a surprise result, the GM crop also yielded more potato per hectare. This is the first time that a simple genetic modification has increased yield.
Potatoes are an increasingly popular way to increase food production in India, China and other developing countries. The tubers are mainly carbohydrate, but they also contain a little protein: a medium (150-gram) spud contains 3 grams of protein, about 6 per cent of the US recommended daily allowance. The GM variety's extra 60 per cent raises that to 4.8 grams – nearly 10 per cent of the recommended amount.
Subra Chakraborty and colleagues at India's Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla created the high-protein "protato" in 2003 by giving potatoes a gene from the grain amaranth, a South American plant widely eaten across the tropics, including India. The gene codes for a "storage" protein in amaranth seeds, but in the protato it was linked to a DNA code that turns on production of the storage protein in tubers.
The team has now spliced this gene into seven commercial potato varieties, and field-tested them for several seasons. This is crucial, as GM crops often behave differently in the lab and the field.
Some tubers contained almost twice as much extra protein as the prototype, with increases in several essential amino acids. Tests in rats and rabbits revealed no toxic or allergic effects. However, the plants also photosynthesised more, and produced 15 to 25 per cent more potatoes per hectare by weight – the only time this has ever been reported for a plant with just one extra gene.

www.pnas.org/content/suppl/2010/09/14/1006265107.DCSupplemental/pnas.201006265SI.pdf
Supporting Information for those wanting more technical info.
Tough to understand..I know...but then....

As follows..some info on those American potatoes with higher protein. Pardon my clumsiness in putting the info together...
www.pvmi.org/Storage/General/Clearwater%20Flyer%201%2009.pdf

Clearwater Russet also is notable for having
a higher protein content than those of standard
potato varieties, with 38% greater concentration
than Russet Burbank.

Pedigree( AOA95154-1)….. Bannock Russet x A89152-4
Bannock is a cross of A 75175-1 x A 75188-3
(Yes, I have been following these pedigrees closely as a cooperator for testing seedling tubers for the last 5 decades.)
Bannock Russet…
Protein (% DWB) 5.8 % compared to Russet Burbank.. 4.5%
Thus 29% more protein than Burbank but Bannock’s offspring Clearwater Russet is again ....38% more than Burbank.

A93157-6LS (Premier Russet)

Protein (%DWB) Premier Russet.. 6.3 Russet Burbank 5.2 Ranger Russet 5.7
Or about 21% more protein than Burbank
Premier Russet is a product of the cooperative USDA/ARS, University of Idaho breeding program in Aberdeen. It resulted from a 1993 cross between A87149-4 and A88108-7

The protein by dry weight for different locations may mean that varieties have a trend to produce different protein levels per place and time. But relative measures are all I have to deal with.

I don't know where I will strike 'Gold' with the protein levels in my TPS. But with a virtual Gold Rush State right here in Washington with my TPS collections, I will have veins of ore to pan for years to come.

Tom Wagner

[DarJones]

That brings on a question Tom. If you started with a potato that has 38% elevated protein levels and you incorporated the albumin gene, would you then get a potato with 100% or more elevated protein? I suspect the answer is yes.

Note that I am not advocating GMO potatoes, just asking an academic question.

As for GMO potatoes coming to market, I suspect it will take less than 10 years to see a viable GMO potato on store shelves near you. I'm not advocating it, just saying that it is pretty much a given. Soybeans, cotton, corn, and more have all been modified and we either feed the products to animals or consume them ourselves. Whats that? You don't think we consume cotton? Uh, hate to do this to you, but look at the ingredients in that bag of potato chips. Cottonseed oil!

DarJones

[Tom Wagner]

We have choices, and we have druthers. Sometimes we would rather have something like high protein potatoes if the choice was really there. We don't market potatoes based on nutrition advantages. If we ever get to the point where genetically modified high protein potatoes were marketed here, would we partake, or would we have a choice of organically grown..non GMO potatoes like one of my lines or at least the 38% more protein variety: Clearwater Russet.

All too often we complacently sit idle while GMO's are promoted in the press and elsewhere. If protein is all that important why do we ignore the independent breeders like myself? With the proper lab evaluation of my breeding work, I could quickly evaluate higher protein lines grown organically and use them in yet further breeding...followed by multiple protein testing.

Frito-Lay wanted to buy more organically grown sunflower oil from selected producers but those growers did not have the volume to write the contracts. Limited snack products are available that are 100% organic unless you go to one of the many newer companies. Here is a blip about Frito-Lay...

Organic food options are becoming more widely available, and not just in the produce section. Organic snacks are made with organic ingredients that have not been treated with pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste or sewer sludge. They are made from all natural (not-synthetic) ingredients, not genetically modified, and not treated by radiation. Frito-Lay uses certified organic blue corn in our Natural Blue Corn TOSTITOS® tortilla chips.

Of course, I like potato chips from Frito-Lay. I worked as a potato buyer, fieldman, warehouse manager for storage potatoes starting back in the late 60's. Would I prefer they use only organic cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil? Yes! Yes!

Being organic means one is by default....anti GMO. I am more angry with the GMO folks simply because they don't trust people like myself having those seeds, tubers, cuttings, etc., in our hands. It is a control freakishness/sneakiness that I hate the most.

I would like to think that an artisan potato variety would be worth more than a GMO potato.

[thefuture]

Sept 24, 2010 12:50:14 GMT -8 Tom Wagner said:

I would like to think that an artisan potato variety would be worth more than a GMO potato.

Hands down.

[PatrickW]

Just who is it that thinks a potato higher in protein is healthier anyway? This is just marketing nonsense.

If you don't get enough protein, you can get sick. Do you know what the disease is called? Kwashiorkor. And when was the last time you met someone with this disease? Since it's pretty much unheard of in the developed world, and even in the developing world extremely rare, it's probably been a while since you met someone with it. It pretty much only occurs in the US in cases of extreme eating disorder -- like someone who only eats candy.

Do you know what diseases you can get with too much protein? Kidney disease, Glaucoma, Hypertension, Weight Gain, Cataracts and Gout. It's also implicated in heart and circulatory problems, not to mention just a lot of other modern health problems.

Basically, too much protein makes you grow faster and puts most of your organs under stress.

It's complete and total nonsense to suggest a GMO potato with extra protein has anything to do with good health or sensible eating. A high protein GMO potato is just marketing.

[Tom Wagner]

Patrick,

Knowing you and dining with you on two continents, and respecting your eating habits with no meat, I suppose we are on opposite positions of dietary preferences. That being said, I still think that breeders as myself can, and should , be aware of the potential of producing potato varieties, better...creating potato varieties with enhanced protein along with other nutriceuticals such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, minerals, etc.

Nutraceutical, a term combining the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”, is a food or food product that provides health and medical benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease.

Just who is it that thinks a potato higher in protein is healthier anyway? This is just marketing nonsense.

Since India is the one country pushing for the GMO potato, they must have a rationale that is supporting this marketing nonsense

India is third in the world in producing potatoes. Malnutrition is a collective term, but my guess is that the Indian government will grasp at any improvement in food quality. The stats are staggering....

The World Bank estimates that India is ranked 2nd in the world of the number of children suffering from malnutrition, after Bangladesh (in 1998), where 47% of the children exhibit a degree of malnutrition. The prevalence of underweight children in India is among the highest in the world, and is nearly double that of Sub-Saharan Africa with dire consequences for mobility, mortality, productivity and economic growth.[1] The UN estimates that 2.1 million Indian children die before reaching the age of 5 every year – four every minute - mostly from preventable illnesses such as diarrhea, typhoid, malaria, measles and pneumonia. Every day, 1,000 Indian children die because of diarrhea alone. According to the 1991 census of India, it has around 150 million children, constituting 17.5% of India's population, who are below the age of 6 years.

If you don't get enough protein, you can get sick. Do you know what the disease is called? Kwashiorkor. And when was the last time you met someone with this disease? Since it's pretty much unheard of in the developed world, and even in the developing world extremely rare, it's probably been a while since you met someone with it. It pretty much only occurs in the US in cases of extreme eating disorder -- like someone who only eats candy.

I reckon that I would like to justify the potatoes I eat as a good source of protein, but it sounds like I should not worry so much about not getting enough protein.

Do you know what diseases you can get with too much protein? Kidney disease, Glaucoma, Hypertension, Weight Gain, Cataracts and Gout. It's also implicated in heart and circulatory problems, not to mention just a lot of other modern health problems.

I have suffered from some of the above, but as I am trying to eat more vegetables in my diet, I was hoping to justify breeding potatoes with more protein. I also realized that someday, meat, eggs, cheese, milk, etc, could be costly to buy and potatoes could be my fall back.

It's complete and total nonsense to suggest a GMO potato with extra protein has anything to do with good health or sensible eating. A high protein GMO potato is just marketing.

Patrick, is my effort to extol the virtues of an organic high protein potato...just marketing? Or is it an effort to offer a choice?

Tom Wagner

[PatrickW]

Sept 25, 2010 9:26:35 GMT -8 Tom Wagner said:

Patrick, is my effort to extol the virtues of an organic high protein potato...just marketing? Or is it an effort to offer a choice?

Tom,

If you were to breed an organic high protein potato, it would be offering a choice. Anyone privileged enough to be able to eat one of your potatoes is very lucky indeed, and it's not something that would happen by accident. No one would find it added to their fast food french fries or any other processed food without their consent or knowledge.

If a high protein GM potato were introduced, it would be about marketing and trying to force GMOs on a consuming public that by in large do not want to eat them.

On the other hand, if you were to breed a high protein potato, you would never convince me the extra protein in any way contributed to a healthier diet. It would not replace meat or dairy in any sense. I doubt it would even make you less hungry after eating it, or taste different, than an ordinary potato.

What virtues do you think a high protein potato would have, GM or organic?? Besides promoting corporate profits and politics, do you think a country like India would be interested in a high protein potato? How would it help hunger or improve people's diets? Does India have special health problems due to a specific lack of protein?

Kwashiorkor was first identified in Asia, when white rice first became popular as an alternative to brown rice. People who eat ONLY white rice and nothing else, are known to get it. By adding a few vegetables or lentils, the problem goes away. I think most of us understand that eating a diet of only white rice is not a sensible thing to do. One possible reason the Indian government is interested in a high protein potato, is perhaps some people in India still only have access to a diet of white rice and get sick from it. I would expect an ordinary potato would solve the problem however, and a high protein one is not necessary.

I am a vegetarian, but I'm not lacking in protein in any way, nor do I need to consider it when choosing what to eat. No vegetarian or vegan that I know does, or ever has. This is only something that non-vegetarians think has to be a concern for vegetarians. Virtually anyone who eats a varied diet gets all the protein they need. I've been vegetarian for more than 25 years, and protein has never been an issue.

Other nutriceuticals are something else. Everyone benefits from variety in their diets, and I think a number of things have been identified as lacking in modern food like anthocyanins, and we would all benefit to see these come back. This is an important part of the argument for biodiversity, and I'm all for breeding for these things.

I don't however think of protein as a nutriceutical, or of something related to biodiversity. I also think it's probably not very useful to breed for something that's a common part of many ordinary foods anyway.

We might just have to agree to disagree on this point... I still support your breeding work!

[DarJones]

Patrick,

You are correct that an adult can get enough protein in their diet without much extra effort. A few beans or other legumes will do the trick. The problem is that kids can't easily eat enough ordinary vegetables to meet their protein needs. I suggest you verify this before replying. It is not an idle concern. For this reason, I would be very interested in a higher protein potato.

DarJones

[murgatroyd]

If I were to throw a suggestion out there how about a potato with more folate?

[atash]

You're right, Patrick, Kwashiorkor IS rare.

Ironically, insofar as it does exist it usually happens among children growing up in cultures that over-consume starchy roots such as Cassava--NOT potato, or at least, not as long as they don't peel the potato, which removes what little protein potatoes have, that is immediately under the skin. Cassava root contains negligible protein--reputedly is approaches the theoretical limit for starch content! The leaves, however, are quite rich in protein (and cyanoglycocides!), but it does not have enough sulfur-containing amino acid to be complete.

Insofar as the protein has to come from SOMEWHERE (and as you already know, animals don't really make protein; they concentrate proteins from upstream in the food chain, starting with a plant, probably), it might as well come from a potato as any other source.

Personally, I would be curious to know what the "cost" of the protein in the non-GMO higher-protein potato lines is, because potatoes don't fix nitrogen.

[Tom Wagner]

Switching from protein to folate/folic acid is a bit of a jump but not if one is considering the total nutrient advantage of certain potato clones. The main problem I can see if that we are slowly catching up on the effort, and mostly in the state where I live.

Highly colored potato flesh is going to be where lots of newly identified levels of folic acid will be forthcoming. The last year i received lots of seedling tubers from Prosser, WA was in 2003, and many of the same clones I received then are popping up as good candidates. Lucky me, I put most of that year's and 2004's increase into TPS. That is the way I can reconstitute the germplasm quickly related to lab evaluations that point the way to the best pedigreed lines.

I have done lots of breeding with colored flesh potatoes without resorting singularly to Prosser's material. But it is nice to relate directly to specific bloodlines to make observations.

Article
Determination of Folate Concentrations in Diverse Potato Germplasm Using a Trienzyme Extraction and a Microbiological Assay

pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf063647x

Folate deficiency is a leading cause of birth defects and is implicated in several other diseases. We are interested in how much folate concentrations vary among potato germplasm. We determined total folate concentrations of potato tubers from 67 cultivars, advanced breeding lines, or wild species. Folates were extracted by a tri-enzyme treatment and analyzed by using a Lactobacillus rhamnosus microbiological assay. Folate concentrations varied from 521 ± 96 to 1373 ± 230 ng/g dry weight and were genotype and location dependent. The highest folate concentrations were mostly found in color-fleshed potatoes. Variations of folate concentrations within either color- or white-fleshed tubers were similar ( 2-fold). Skin contained 30% higher folate concentrations than flesh. Storage of tubers for 7 months generally led to an increase in folate contents. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analyses showed that higher folate contents were correlated with lower mRNA expression of some folate genes.

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:SFD39zFWvioJ:www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/folate-folic-acid/+folate+potato&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

• Folate (Folic Acid)
Folate is an essential nutrient, particularily for young women. Boiled new potatoes in their skins (175g portion) provide 33mcg (9%) of your RDA of folate.

Folate is one of the B vitamins used by your body. Folate is used to make red blood cells and important proteins like DNA. Getting enough folate is especially important during growth spurts and during pregnancy.

Getting enough folate lessens your chance of having a baby with a neural tube defect. Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a type of birth defect that involve the brain and spinal cord and can cause serious lifelong problems for a baby. We now know that getting enough folate during the childbearing years is one of the best ways to lower your chances of having a baby with a neural tube defect. Even if you are not pregnant now, and do not plan to be pregnant soon, it's never too early to start thinking about getting enough folate.

Folate is measured in micrograms (mcg). For women of childbearing age, the recommendation is 400 micrograms of folate daily. Potatoes, green leafy vegetables, some citrus fruits and certain beans are rich sources of folate. Teens who don't eat many fruits or vegetables or those who skip meals may not get enough folate. (source: http://www.youngwomenshealth.org)

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:KpsuNAa5qT0J:www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep07/potato0907.htm+folic+acid+potato+varieties+Navarre&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Mindful of the importance of folic acid to proper fetal development, Navarre’s team has sought to identify potato germplasm sources containing high concentrations of this critical member of the vitamin B complex. All told, they examined 70 types of potatoes, finding a nearly threefold difference between high- and low-folic-acid specimens. Before the team’s profiling efforts, only six varieties had been scrutinized for folic acid.

I will attempt to get more info from some of the Washington researches, but it is tough to do. I am outside of the pale and I get little if any recognition for my efforts from them.

So, why am I doing all of this research and writing about it.
Simple....I am interested, I have lots of breeding experience, I maintain a hugh germplasm of potential breeding lines, most as TPS, I write about it, I am trying to get others involved, I am begging for money, grants, jobs, consultations, cooperation, and not necessarily in that order.

Now that germplasm is getting scarce to access due to Plant variety management schemes, I am one of the very few that can explode his little operation into something really significant.

If you look at the pedigree for Prosser potatoes you will see that many are from the 2000 and 2002 crossing years. I am multiple generations into crosses that are adapting those very lines to this area and with the template of organic soils.

Just today I took some crossed berries from a suspected tetraploid with the tag showing 140 sibs of bulked pollen as the male parent. The seed will likely be tetraploid. The point? That hybrid seed will be 3/4 phureja type in a cultivated type tetraploid. It will have one or more of those nutriceuticals. Growers want tetraploids pure and simple.

How do I "know" that something that should have been diploid is a tetraploid? Simple, the leaves and stems are larger, the berries are not cone shaped, and the tubers are larger.

[PatrickW]

I think the idea of higher foliate makes more sense than protein.

Since potatoes don't normally contain it, this may be a non-issue, but in Europe the issue of vitamin D is getting more attention. This is normally synthesized by your body with exposure to sunlight, and deficiencies are common in northern climates. In Scotland particular, they have a very high incidence of Multiple Sclerosis, which they now think is related. They think in general vitamin D deficiency has not received enough attention in recent years.

Sept 25, 2010 17:57:55 GMT -8 DarJones said:

Patrick,

You are correct that an adult can get enough protein in their diet without much extra effort. A few beans or other legumes will do the trick. The problem is that kids can't easily eat enough ordinary vegetables to meet their protein needs. I suggest you verify this before replying. It is not an idle concern. For this reason, I would be very interested in a higher protein potato.

DarJones

The thing is protein is in so many different foods, and anyone who has a deficiency almost by definition has a number of other dietary issues that have to be addressed, child or adult. A superspud is not going to make a difference, especially considering most cultures outside of the US peel their potatoes, which someone already mentioned would likely remove much of the protein anyway. It's like try to solve world hunger with a vitamin pill.

There's this long running debate of should world hunger be addressed with golden rice, GMO potatoes or other new technologies, when the only true solution is going to come from addressing the underlying causes and improving access to traditional and organic foods.

Like atash also said, protein has to come from somewhere. A higher protein potato will also by definition be a heavier feeder, and this could cause problems with other crops. Protein is probably much better gotten from nitrogen fixing crops, and something like soy beans or lentils can probably be just as efficiently grown as potatoes.