In Ohio, an experimental golden potato could hold the power to prevent disease and death in developing countries where residents rely heavily upon the starchy food for sustenance. A single serving of the yellow-orange, lab-engineered potato has the potential to provide as much as 42 percent of a child’s recommended daily intake of vitamin A and 34 percent of a child’s recommended intake of vitamin E, according to a recent study co-led by researchers at The Ohio State University.
The golden potato, which is not commercially available, was metabolically engineered in Italy. The additional carotenoids in the tuber make it a more nutritionally dense food with the potential of improving the health of those who rely heavily upon potatoes for nourishment.
Potato is the fourth most widely consumed plant food by humans after rice, wheat and corn and is a staple food in some Asian, African and South American countries.