KELOWNA–An apple that doesn’t turn brown once sliced was once as hard to imagine as seedless watermelon.
But a British Columbia firm that created a controversial apple genetically engineered not to turn brown has been given a stamp of approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Arctic Apples, developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits, are genetically engineered. The gene that prompts production of an enzyme that causes the browning has been switched off.
That genetic modification has sparked opposition to the fruit.
“The consumers don’t want them. The growers don’t want them. It’ll wreck the reputation of the valley,” claimed nutritionist Heidi Osterman at a protest rally last year.
However, the U.S. government body announced Friday the apple is unlikely to pose a risk to agriculture or plants inside the country and the company can now market the product to growers.
“What we find is that it’s overwhelmingly positive,” says Neal Carter, President of Okanagan Specialty Fruits.
“What really changes things a lot is when people see the fruit and have the opportunity to experience it.”
Carter says when people understand that no foreign DNA from other species are being introduced to the Arctic Apples, they’re more open to trying the fruit.
While Arctic Apples will be labeled with stickers declaring the brand name, they will not be labeled as Genetically Modified Organisms.
The company hopes the product will be introduced to the US market in 2016, and available in Canada by 2017.
– With files from The Canadian Press
WATCH: A group called GE Free BC challenged the BC government last year for its promised review of the genetically engineered Arctic apple.
Comments