Posted December 19, 2013
An apple variety which has been bioengineered to resist browning is likely to be approved by USDA early next year, according to an article by Agri-Pulse available here.
The apple varieties, Arctic Golden and Arctic Granny, were developed by a Canadian biotechnology company, Okanagan Specialty Fruits. Neal Carter, president and founder of Okanagan Specialty Fruits said, “Ten years of real-world field trial experience has shown that Arctic trees and fruit are just like other apple varieties consumers have come to know and love, until the fruit is bruised, bitten or cut.”
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recommended that the two varieties be granted non-regulated status last month and APHIS concluded an environmental assessment.
The U.S. apple industry opposes approval, “not out of opposition to genetic engineering but out of fear it could cause apple sales to decline,” according to an article by Capital Press available here.
“In my mind the industry is not opposed to the science. It’s the financial risk of introducing the GMO apple into the largest producer of apples in the U.S. (Washington State) that is our concern,” said Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commission in Wenatchee.
For more information on biotechnology, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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