<P> The first genetically modified food approved for release was the Flavr Savr tomato in 1994 . Developed by Calgene, it was engineered to have a longer shelf life by inserting an antisense gene that delayed ripening . China was the first country to commercialize a transgenic crop in 1993 with the introduction of virus - resistant tobacco . In 1995, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Potato was approved for cultivation, making it the first pesticide producing crop to be approved in the US . Other genetically modified crops receiving marketing approval in 1995 were: canola with modified oil composition, Bt maize, cotton resistant to the herbicide bromoxynil, Bt cotton, glyphosate - tolerant soybeans, virus - resistant squash, and another delayed ripening tomato . </P> <P> With the creation of golden rice in 2000, scientists had genetically modified food to increase its nutrient value for the first time . </P> <P> By 2010, 29 countries had planted commercialized biotech crops and a further 31 countries had granted regulatory approval for transgenic crops to be imported . The US was the leading country in the production of GM foods in 2011, with twenty - five GM crops having received regulatory approval . In 2015, 92% of corn, 94% of soybeans, and 94% of cotton produced in the US were genetically modified strains . </P> <P> The first genetically modified animal to be approved for food use was AquAdvantage salmon in 2015 . The salmon were transformed with a growth hormone - regulating gene from a Pacific Chinook salmon and a promoter from an ocean pout enabling it to grow year - round instead of only during spring and summer . </P>

The main use of genetically modified food in the u.s. food supply is to