by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor
Perfection.
At the grocery store, no one wants to buy the ugly, bruised or browned fruit. GM (genetically modified) apples may bring perfection one step closer to reality.
In mid-February, the federal government approved the planting of trees to produce apples genetically engineered to resist browning when the flesh is sliced or bruised, noted the South East Dairy Farmers Association in its newsletter.
A company located in British Columbia, Canada, developed the "Arctic" brand apples by altering apple seeds to suppress the enzyme linked to browning. While the apples will eventually brown and deteriorate, it will not happen as quickly as it does in the conventional fruit. Unlike other GMOs, genetic material from another species has not been inserted into the apple's DNA.
Initially, the apples would be grown in the Golden Delicious and Granny Smith varieties. The president of Okanagan Specialty Fruits said that four growers would plant a total of 20,000 trees this spring. These trees would produce between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds of apples in 2016 to provide samples to food marketers. The first commercial availability is expected in 2017.
The approval has been met with some backlash from the apple industry as it's worried the GM version will tarnish the fruit's wholesome image.
At its core, the debate revolves around consumer acceptance in the marketplace and potential export implications. Advocates for the apples note that this modification has a tangible consumer benefit.
In an article from the New York Times, the USDA said that it considered a number of these points, but the law requires approval unless the modified plant poses a threat to other plants; these apple trees do not. USDA approval took more than four years, and 175,000 comments, the vast majority opposed to the modified apples, were submitted.
Gerber and McDonald's have already stated that they have no plans to use the Arctic apples.
For an array of reasons, 40 percent of the food we produce never reaches a human mouth. This browning modification could help extend the fruit's shelf life and reduce the amount that is discarded. Ultimately, though, it will have to survive trial in the court of public opinion.
(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2015
March 9, 2015
