Transgenic Flax and the Triffid Affair

Common flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) was one of the first crops cultivated by man used in food and linen cloth production in Europe and Asia, dating back to 5000–8000 BC (Berglund 2002). Today, there are two types of flax produced, seed flax for oil and fiber flax for the stem fiber. Fiber flax has an average annual global production of 500,000 hectares and is predominantly grown in China, the Russian Federation, and in Western Europe. Approximately 3.5 million hectares of oilseed cultivars (also referred to as linseed) are grown in Canada, India, China, the United States (US), and Argentina. Flax is used in the production of various industrial products including linen, fiber composites, paints, inks, and linoleum. Flax has grown in popularity as a nutritional supplement for its value as an essential omega-3 fatty acid for both human and animal consumption with the introduction of low linolenic acid flax varieties over the past several years (Galushko and Ryan 2012). It is often consumed raw or is used in whole-grain products such as cereals and breads. In 2014, Health Canada approved a health claim that linked consumption of ground whole flaxseed with lowered blood cholesterol levels, a major risk factor for heart disease (Health Canada 2014).

By Camille D. Ryan and Stuart J. Smyth Aug 22, 2019