First genetically engineered apples in the US to go on sale next month
The first genetically modified apples that will never turn brown will hit the shelves in select stores in the Midwest US starting next month, two years after the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the country’s first genetically engineered apples.
Okanagan Specialty Fruits – an agricultural biotechnology company based in Summerland, British Columbia in Canada – will be selling a small amount of Arctic brand sliced and packaged Golden Delicious apples in 10 stores this February and March, according to Neal Carter, the company’s founder and president.
“We’re very optimistic with respect to this product because people love it at trade shows,” he said earlier this month. “It’s a great product and the eating quality is excellent.”
Along with not turning brown, the apples should also be crispier in texture, which could possibly win over some picky eaters.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not required to approve genetically engineered crops for consumption. Most companies engage in a voluntary safety review process with the FDA, and Okanagan did that.
The US Apple Association, initially wary of the USDA’s approval, has since taken a more neutral stance.
“US Apple supports consumer choice in the apples and apple products they select. Consumers will be able to decide whether to try the new, “non-browning” apples, and ultimately, the marketplace will determine whether there is a demand for them,” state the association on their website.
When an apple is bruised, sliced or bitten, oxygen is introduced to its plant tissue and this causes the natural browning of the fruit.
According to the US Apple Association, the degree of browning in apples depends on the variety’s natural levels polyphenoloxydase (PPL) and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The lower the level of PPL, the less the variety will brown, the group explained.
But Okanagan Specialty Fruits describes the process a bit differently: “Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) found in one part of the cell mixes with polyphenolics found in another part of the cell. (PPO is a plant enzyme. Polyphenolics are one of the many types of chemical substrate that serve various purposes, including supplying apples with their aroma and flavor.) When PPO and polyphenolics mix, brown-toned melanin is left behind,” they state on their website.
When brown, an apple isn’t necessarily rotten, but Okanagan claim the benefits of non-browning apples go beyond the visual appeal and a reduction in waste. The company says stores or producers often use expensive chemicals to delay the browning of apples and many shoppers frown at the idea of chemicals or pesticides on their produce.
The consensus among scientists and nutritionists is that GMOs are safe, but some consumers are still turned off by GMO labels.
Though the apples are only being trialed in the Midwest, the company have faith they will soon become a welcome option elsewhere.
