Jul 2, 2013

Genetically modified apples approved soon?

Genetically modified apples might be allowed in the U.S. and Canadian marketplaces by the end of this year.

That’s Neal Carter’s hope, at least. The owner of Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF), a Canadian biotechnology company, said he expects the U.S. government will deregulate his company’s product, called Arctic Apples, by this fall. The Canadian government should deregulate them by the end of the year. That’s if everything goes as expected, he said.

Arctic Apples have been genetically modified to be non-browning. Since 2011, OSF has been seeking approval in both countries for Arctic Apples to be grown commercially without restrictions. The regulatory process in both countries has proceeded slowly since then, but Carter was expecting a second public comment period to open in the United States in June, after which USDA would review the comments and post its risk assessments. Deregulation should follow within three months of that, Carter said.

OSF was responding to the Canadian government’s molecular and agronomic questions in late May, but Carter expected that to be resolved by the end of the year. Once approved, Arctic Apples will be grown, sold and processed like any other cultivar, he said.

According to OSF, its scientists determined which genes control the browning process and figured out how to turn those genes off. Using that process, any apple variety can be modified to be non-browning. Arctic Apples have been in field trials in both countries for a number of years. OSF initially focused on Golden Delicious and Granny Smith, but Fuji and Gala are also in the field, and they’ll eventually seek approval for other varieties as well, Carter said.

Carter, originally an apple grower in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, founded OSF in 1996. He expects the non-browning apples will be popular with various market segments, including fresh-cut, foodservice and whole fresh apples. If deregulated, he expects commercial plantings to be in the ground by next spring.

From the beginning, the U.S. Apple Association has been opposed to the deregulation of Arctic Apples by USDA, and is closely monitoring the ag department’s regulatory process, according to Nancy Foster, USApple’s president.

USApple does not believe Arctic Apples represent a human health concern, and generally supports advancements from genetics and genomics research, but has stated that consumers are not calling for non-browning apples at this time. Browning is a natural process resulting from exposure to oxygen, and apples that are naturally low-browning are already in the marketplace. Also, lightly coating sliced or cut apples with Vitamin-C-fortified apple juice can delay browning prior to serving, according to USApple.

For more information about Arctic Apples, click here.

– Matt Milkovich