Brocciflower

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Brocciflower, which is not to be confused with the "Romanesco Cauliflower" also going under the name of Broccoflower, is the edible result of genetic crossbreeding between broccoli and cauliflower plants^[1][2].

Though broccoli and cauliflower are closely related, both being members of the Cabbage family, they are sexually incompatible, meaning they cannot naturally crossbreed. However, through genetic modification scientists have been able to create and mass-produce brocciflower. The actual procedure consist of fusing two protoplasts. One from a broccoli cell and an other originating from a cauliflower cell. This was first done in Europe around 1988.

Though brocciflower has been available in mass quantities at food outlets and grocery stores across the United States since the mid- to late-nineties, the hybrid has failed to achieve widespread acceptance. One reason is purely aesthetic: resembling a green-colored, cauliflower, and tasting like a combination of its two parent plants, the brocciflower had difficulty creating physical appeal with the public. However, a more convincing argument for the brocciflower's commercial failure is its status as a "designer food." Due to the incompatible nature of broccoli and cauliflower, genetic modification was required to produce the brocciflower, causing the plant to suffer from the same bad reputation as other more commonly discussed modified plants, such as genetically modified corn, or other designer foods like apple pears.

While hopes for the commercial resurgence of brocciflower are slim, the product can still be found in many grocery stores today.

[edit] References

1. ^ Designer Foods: Enhancing Nutrition with Biotechnology, American Medical Association, Briefing on Food Biotechnology, 2001
2. ^ LMOs and the Environment, Proceedings of an International Conference 2001