Now that summer is in full swing in North America, people have been asking one of our favorite GMO questions again. Let’s clear up a point of confusion: there are no commercially available GMO watermelons!
Like all living things, the crops we eat have chromosomes inside the nucleus of their cells. This is where their genetic information is stored. Different organisms have different numbers of chromosomes and different numbers of copies of those chromosomes. For example, most humans are diploid creatures. We generally have two copies of 23 chromosomes for a total of 46.
Seedless watermelons are triploid, which means they have three copies of their chromosomes rather than two. This renders them sterile, which of course means no seeds to pick out. These watermelons are created by crossing a common diploid watermelon (two copies of each chromosome, just like most humans) with a tetraploid watermelon (which has four copies). Each plant passes on half its genetic information, so the prodigy ends up with three pairs of chromosomes and no viable seeds. Interestingly, our typical (Cavendish) bananas are seedless for the same reason: they are just triploid plantains!
Since some of you have asked, it should be noted that cube-shaped watermelons are also not genetically modified. Those are just grown in a cube-shaped container. Hybrid fruits such as tangelos and mandarinquats are also not GMOs—they are created with traditional crossbreeding methods.
Have more questions about which crops are sometimes GMOs? Drop them in the comments or join the discussion on Instagram.
Packed with fruit and available nationwide, just ahead of summer
PENNSAUKEN, N.J., April 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- J&J Snack Foods Corp. (NASDAQ: JJSF) announced today select Whole Fruit® Fruit Bars and Organic Juice Tubes are now Non-GMO Project Verified. This trusted logo assures consumers no genetically modified ingredients are used during the making of the deliciously fruity frozen treat. Whole Fruit is proud to offer consumers the same guilt-free formula and great taste, NOW with the Non-GMO Project Verified seal! Whole Fruit Fruit Bars and Organic Juice Tubes are available for frozen novelty lovers nationwide, just check the freezer section of local retail supermarkets, supercenters and warehouse club stores.
"By partnering with the Non-GMO Project, we hope to strengthen our well-loved brand even further. We want our Whole Fruit consumers to feel good about and trust the treats they are feeding their family and friends — this is just one additional way to help them do so," said Alissa Davis, Vice President of Marketing at J&J Snack Foods.
With real chunks of fruit in every bite, the Non-GMO Project Verified Strawberry, Mango and Black Cherry varieties. Bursting with real fruit flavor and made with 90 percent juice, the Non-GMO Project also verified Whole Fruit Organic Juice Tubes in four combo flavors: Apple Grape, Apple Blueberry, Apple Cherry and Apple Strawberry.
More than half of Americans are looking for non-GMO food and beverages1, and nearly half of consumers report that "free from GMO ingredients" along with "low sugar or sugar-free" are the important factors when deciding which food or beverage product to eat or drink.2 Non-GMO Project Verified remains the market leader for GMO avoidance and one of the fastest growing labels in the retail sector, offering North America's most trusted third-party verification for non-GMO food and products.
For more information about Whole Fruit products and where to buy them, visit www.jjsnack.com/wholefruit or visit the Whole Fruit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
About J&J Snack Foods Corp.
J&J Snack Foods Corp. is a leader and innovator in the snack food industry, providing nutritional and affordable branded niche snack foods and beverages to foodservice and retail supermarket outlets. Manufactured and distributed nationwide, our principal products include SUPERPRETZEL, BAVARIAN BAKERY and other soft pretzels, ICEE and SLUSH PUPPIE frozen beverages, LUIGI'S, MINUTE MAID frozen juice bars and ices, WHOLE FRUIT sorbet and frozen fruit bars, MARY B'S biscuits and dumplings, DADDY RAY'S fig and fruit bars, TIO PEPE'S, CALIFORNIACHURROS and OREO Churros, PATIO Burritos and other handheld sandwiches, THE FUNNEL CAKE FACTORY funnel cakes, and several bakery brands within COUNTRY HOME BAKERS and HILL & VALLEY. For more information, please visit http://www.jjsnack.com.
*MINUTE MAID is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.
*OREO and the OREO wafer design are registered trademarks of Mondelez International group, used under license.
1. According to the Hartman Group's 2017 Health & Wellness Study
2. According to GfK's 2017 global study, Decision factors on what to eat or drink
SOURCE J&J Snack Foods Corp.
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