Peppers from space
In north west China's Gansu province, cosmic capsicums have gone on sale and account for more than half the local red pepper market. You might find them alongside other off-world creations such as the basket-ball sized aubergine, and half-meter long cucumbers.
The genetically-enhanced plants are descended from seeds which were taken into space aboard China's 2002 Shenzhou III mission, where they were exposed to the effects of magnetic fields and cosmic radiation, (which presumably means the taikonauts on the mission were similarly genetically irradiated). Today's plants on sale in the Gansu shops do not carry any form of labelling to indicate they've been genetically enhanced.
Sending seeds into space is not a cost-effective or reliable way of genetically engineering crops. It should also be mentioned that giant vegetables are by no means unusual. The Guinness Book of Records says the world record for a tomato is 7 pounds 12 ounces, and if you think that's big, look at this picture of the world's largest cucumber.
www.geekosystem.com/worlds-largest-cucumber/
24th September 2012