SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF 1-AMINOCYCLOPROPANE-1-CARBOXYLIC ACID DEAMINASE PROTEIN EXPRESSED IN DELAYED RIPENING TOMATOES

Tomato plants with delayed fruit ripening have been produced by stable insertion of the gene encoding the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic a cid deaminase (ACCd) protein into the tomato chromosome. Two approache s were used to assess the safety of the ACCd protein for human consump tion. Purified Escherichia coli-produced ACCd protein, which is chemic ally and functionally equivalent to the ACCd protein produced in delay ed ripening tomato holt, was used in these studies. First, the ACCd pr otein was readily degraded under simulated mammalian digestive conditi ons. Second, the ACCd protein did not have any deleterious effects whe n administered to mice by acute gavage at a dosage of up to 602 mg/kg of body weight. This dosage correlates to greater than a 5000- fold sa fety factor relative to the average daily consumption of tomatoes, ass uming that all tomatoes consumed contain the ACCd protein. These resul ts, in conjunction with previously published data, establish that inge stion of tomato fruit expressing the ACCd protein does not pose any sa fety concerns.