Another advantage of the bioengineering route is that these additives can be swapped for those extract from nature and still legally be called natural because they are made by living organism ( typically ,yeast ). And because it is add to food after the yeast have been removed, the ingredient itself need not be labeled in any particular way. As long as it is equivalent to one of the many used in the food industry that are generally recognized as safe, it can be added to food without any regulatory review.
How consumers will respond to these products is unclear. Friends of the Earth US, an environmental group based in Washington DC, is asking consumer to sign an online petition calling for food companies not to use synthetic-biology-derived vanillin in ice cream.
Some companies are positioning themselves for the coming battle. Solazyme, based in South San Francisco, California, modifies algae to produce oils that are added to cosmetics sold by the international beauty chain Sephora. A spokesperson says that its products “ are made naturally by micro algae ”.
Carolyn Fritz, chief executive of Allylix in San Diego, California, takes a different tack in trying to head off concerns. Her company uses yeast to make terpenes-organic chemicals that can be extract from plants for use in fragrance and food. She points out that one of the main synthetic-biology processes, using the fermentation powers of yeast, is something that should be familiar to thirsty consumers. “ We are using a process very similar to that used to make beer, wine and lots of other products ,” she say.