Just 10% of Americans get the recommended daily intake of vegetables—and half of those are vegetarians. As a whole, society is reaching for convenience foods over fresh produce and fruit and vegetable companies look to change that trend.
Joining the fight for healthier plates is Pairwise, a fruit and vegetable breeding company that uses advanced gene editing techniques. By focusing on not only agronomic traits, but favor and convenience attributes, Dan Jenkins Pairwise head of regulatory and quality, says consumers might be more open to these products.
“Vegetables and fruits are something people want to eat but barriers like convenience hurt them,” he explains. “We want to make a product they want.”
Pairwise is working with a variety of species including brassica, black raspberries, blackberries and cherries. Removing seeds and pits and cutting down on bitter flavors are among their goals for these crops.
Learn more from Jenkins about this company, their goals and why he thinks produce could critical to encouraging overall acceptance of gene editing and GMO technologies.
