The Flavr Savr Tomato was genetically engineered by Calgene Inc. in 1994 to stay fresh on store shelves longer than regular tomatoes. It was the first genetically modified food on the market, and was developed by the then-local biotech start-up company that included many UC Davis professors. Mixed taste-test reviews came in and the Flavr Savr suffered from supply problems, marketing controversies and financial trouble. In 1996, Calgene was bought out by Monsanto and by 1998 the Flavr Savr was removed from supermarket shelves.
Another locally bred tomato that is significantly more commercially successful is the Square Tomato.
The Flavr Savr Tomato was featured in a New York Times article in 2013, here. The article points out that Calgene proudly labelled its product as genetically modifed; Monsanto changed that practice when it bought Calgene, and in 2012, spent $46 million in advertising to defeat Prop 37, which would have labelled GMOs in California.
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