Genetic Squash Coming Incognito

Federal regulators gave final permission this week for a new genetically altered vegetable to go on sale in U.S. supermarkets, probably next spring. The yellow crookneck squash that was developed by Upjohn Co. is unlikely to carry a special label, however, which has drawn protests from some environmentalist and consumer groups. This will mark the first time a genetically engineered whole food has been sold in grocery stores unlabeled. The world’s first genetically engineered food, the “Flavr-Savr” tomato that went on sale in October, has been voluntarily labeled by its producer, Calgene Inc.

The Union of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defense Fund said the commercial planting of the squash could create new and worse plant viruses and significantly increase the wild squash weed problem through pollination. But developers of the vegetable discounted those criticisms. “Seed companies and universities have been breeding disease resistance into cultivated varieties for decades, and there’s never been any indication that this has caused an increase in wild weed relatives,” said David Tricoli, one of the developers of the squash. The squash has been under development by Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Upjohn, for four years. The vegetable cleared its first major hurdle last month when the Food and Drug Administration said the product and six other genetically altered foods did not pose any health risks.

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Food Labels Found Accurate: New-style labels on food sold in U.S. groceries are accurate in 87% of cases, the Food and Drug Administration said this week, based on a random analysis of 300 foods on store shelves. The labels, introduced May 8, show the number of calories and the quantity of fat, cholesterol, fiber and other nutrients in processed foods. For fat, the diet hazard most Americans try to spot, the accuracy was 94%, and for calories it was 93%. FDA Commissioner David Kessler said inspectors also found that of a sample of 5,000 products surveyed since August, less than 1% were missing the new labels. The FDA sent warning letters to 28 companies involved, he said.

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New Tax-Preparation Software: Intuit has a new CD-ROM to help prepare for income tax time. TurboTax Multimedia includes tax-preparation software and advice from tax experts Marshall Loeb and Mary L. Sprouse.

The program requires a 486 IBM or compatible personal computer, MPC-compatible double-speed CD-ROM drive, 4 MB of RAM, a 256 color VGA monitor, sound card and speakers and Windows 3.1 or higher. Intuit will sell two versions of TurboTax this year: a HeadStart version sold in the last quarter of the year and a final version available in January.

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New Diaper-Changing Pad: Each year more than 4,000 babies are injured in falls from changing tables or dressers, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. A Denver-based company, Basic Comfort Inc., has designed a changing pad that cradles and holds the baby while it is being changed or dressed.

The EZ-Change has a V-shaped indentation in the middle and an adjustable elastic safety strap to keep the baby secure. It is portable, made of non-allergenic, flame-retardant foam cushions and covered in washable waterproof terry cloth with Velcro closing tabs. It has a suggested retail price of $29.95.