– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Now, with all we're all familiar with

the health benefits of eating fruit and

veg, but what if scientists could make

your five a day even healthier? That's

the plan at one research center in

Norwich here in England, where tomatoes

are being genetically altered to include

more vitamin D. Nikki Fox has the story.

On the outside and on the inside, these

tomatoes look and taste like any other.

But in green houses in Norolk, they've

been bred to contain something that many

lack, vitamin D. Researchers believe

there's enough in four to meet an

adult's daily requirement. Why tomatoes?

Because it's relatively easy to do it,

and it wouldn't have worked in other

vegetables such as broccoli or cabbage.

And lots and lots of people eat

tomatoes, even tomato pastes and uh

pizzas and and ketchup.

Gene editing switches individual genes

on and off by snipping out a section of

DNA. Doing this in the tomato means a

substance can build up because the gene

that stops it is turned off. It's that

substance or provitamin that when

exposed to light turns into vitamin D.

For the first time, 76 people are

testing genetically edited foods in

clinical trials. The tomatoes are

frozen, then freeze-dried and added to

soup. So, what's the problem they're

trying to solve?

In summertime, uh, just through exposure

to sunlight, we can make enough of our

own vitamin D. But in winter time, when

the sun is lower, we don't get the UV

rays coming through, and you don't make

enough of your own vitamin D. And you've

got to get it from a food source.

Traditionally, that food source would be

oily fish, eggs, but of course, a lot of

those foods are not necessarily

palatable to everybody.

Participants wear a UV necklace to check

it's the tomatoes, not the sun, giving

them vitamin D. The results go straight

to researchers. But it's not just

tomatoes, that could be changing. In two

months, product developers will be able

to apply to the Food Standards Agency to

have their genetically edited food

marketed. It's expected the first could

go on sale next year and it could mean

anything from sweeter lettucees to

strawberries that last longer. But some

people do have concerns.

There are no longer requirements to

label these geneedited precision bred

GMOs. Now that removes consumers rights

to know what they're buying. It makes it

difficult for organic farmers who must

legally keep all GMOs out of their

supply chain. So the fact that they are

not labeled and the fact that they are

not traceable creates problems for

everybody except the biotech industry.

Scientists in Norwich say they do want

people to know what they're eating. So

are breeding a new type of tomato.

We kind of want them labeled so that

consumers have a choice. And we think

that this uh variation which gives a

stripey color, it looks a bit like a

sunrise or a sunset and it's uh that

relates to the vitamin D content which

is because it's called the sunshine

vitamin. Campaigners say genetically

edited food won't be traceable if

something goes wrong. But the government

argues it can boost food security and

improve disease resistance. is backing

the technology with a multi-million

pound investment.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
research /rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/ B2	noun - systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. verb - to make careful investigation in order to discover new information.
scientists /ˈsaɪəntɪsts/ B1	noun - people who study and know a lot about science.
altered /ˈɔːltərd/ B2	verb - changed or modified.
contain /kənˈteɪn/ A2	verb - to have something inside.
requirement /rɪˈkwaɪərmənt/ B2	noun - something that is needed or demanded.
edited /ˈedɪtɪd/ B2	verb - corrected or revised.
exposure /ɪkˈspəʊʒə/ B2	noun - the state of being exposed to something.
traditionally /trəˈdɪʃənəli/ B2	adverb - in a way that follows customs or traditions.
palatable /ˈpælətəbl/ C1	adjective - acceptable or agreeable to the taste.
participants /pɑːˈtɪsɪpənts/ B1	noun - people who take part in something.
label /ˈleɪbl/ A2	verb - to attach a label to. noun - a small piece of paper or material attached to an object to identify it.
traceable /ˈtreɪsəbl/ C1	adjective - able to be found or followed.
concerns /kənˈsɜːnz/ B1	noun - feelings of worry or unease.
variation /ˌveəriˈeɪʃn/ B2	noun - a change or difference in something.
boost /buːst/ B1	verb - to help or encourage something to increase or improve.
resistance /rɪˈzɪstəns/ B2	noun - the ability to withstand or resist something.