COMPTON, Calif. -- Ralphs Grocery Co. here has begun to feature the genetically engineered MacGregor's tomatoes in its advertising.
y altered tomatoes are supposed to possess.
The ad's headline read, "Summertime Taste . . . Year Round!" The body copy went on to explain that "This is the famous new tomato that uses the latest knowledge in farming techniques to produce a great and flavorful tomato.
"Here's how -- through the use of genetically modified seeds, the process that causes over-ripening of the most flavorful varieties of tomatoes has been slowed.
"These tomatoes can therefore be ripened on the vine much longer, produce a juicier and more flavorful tomato," the ad explained. MacGregor's tomatoes are grown from seeds with the Flavr Savr gene, patented by Calgene, Davis, Calif.