Apples that don’t turn brown, B.C. Fruit Growers Association, Arctic Apple,

A British Columbia company has developed an apple that doesn’t turn brown when cut or bruised.

But will consumers bite? A recent survey in Canada suggests some have reservations.

The research, commissioned by the B.C. Fruit Growers Association and the Quebec Apple Producers Association, found 69 per cent of the 1,501 participants would not support the approval of this genetically modified product.

Okanagan Specialty Fruits is seeking regulatory approval in Canada and the U.S. for the so-called Arctic Apple. It comes in two varieties, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith, and there are plans to produce Fuji and Gall apples in the future.

A 60-day public comment period initiated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture began on July 13.

A similar public comment period has just been completed by the Canadian Food Safety Inspection Agency. Senior media-relations officer Guy Gravelle said there were 3,300 submissions from consumers, academics and agricultural associations concerning the apple in that time.

The next stage is a rigorous scientific examination of the apple to ensure its safety, a process that will take some time, he said.

“I don’t think you can expect to see these apples on store shelves next year,” he added.

Neal Carter, president of Okanagan, said Arctic Apples are a product of “a very simple application of biotechnology.”

“There’s an apple enzyme called polyphenol oxidase. We’ve used a very precision approach to just turn that enzyme off. The DNA is present still but the protein is not produced. It’s still an apple, there’s no other changes,” Carter said.

“Biotechnology is just a breeding tool. There’s a lot of negative (comment) around the term and people get all worked up,” said Carter, referring to “Frankenfoods,” a term that has stigmatized genetically modified (GM) foods.

In fact, deactivating the enzyme improves the apple’s taste and smell, Carter said.

“The enzyme that we remove, what it’s doing is consuming the polyphenols, and they’re the flavour and the aroma. Basically the good stuff in the apple gets consumed by the browning reaction and leaves behind that brown pigment, which is actually not very good-tasting stuff,” he said.

“So there’s a reason people don’t like their apples going brown. It’s not that they don’t look good, they don’t taste as well.”

If an apple does go brown, it can also indicate a problem with bacteria or fungus “and shouldn’t be eaten,” Carter said.

“Now with an Arctic Apple, you know it’s not enzymatic browning, so if you’ve got an apple that’s looking ugly, there’s a reason for it and it’s probably best to put it in a composter,” he added.

The Arctic Apple does have its detractors, among them the U.S. Apple Association. “We don’t think it’s in the best interests of the apple industry of the United States to have that product in the marketplace at this place,” Christian Schlect, president of the Northwest Horticultural Council told The New York Times. The council represents tree-fruit growers in a region that produces 60 per cent of apples in the U.S.

Carter said apples remain “pretty much an ideal snack food.”

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away. As an apple grower, I’d rather you ate three or four apples a day,” he added.

Gary Van Loon, professor emeritus of environment sciences at Queen’s University, said Canadians regularly use genetically modified (GM) foods such as canola oil and soya products.

“The fact is, the vast majority of Canadians use GM products and, knowingly or unknowingly, we accept them. Some people would say we should know more about them and they should be labelled and so on but they aren’t, and we are using them,” Van Loon said.

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“Until now, I think they (GM foods) have been quite a success, certainly from the farmers’ point of view. Many, many farmers will say that these things have big, big benefits in terms of crop production,” Van Loon said.

“Having said that, if they are considered carefully. . .I think there’s a growing place for the development of GM products.”

bdemara@thestar.ca