Midwesterners might soon starting seeing something new in the produce aisles: apples that don't turn brown with age.
After years of testing and red tape, the genetically modified Arctic Apple is premiering in a group of stores to see how it's received by shoppers. The apples, which will be sold in slices, are the first food specifically marketed for their genetic modification.
“What companies are desperate for is some really popular GMO (genetically modified organism) product to hit the market,” McKay Jones, who is writing a history of the GMO debate, said. “Any successful product could lift the cloud over GMO.”
Neal Carter, a bio-resource engineer and founder of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, which makes the apples, says he thinks it will be well received because consumers are so put off by the browning of fruit. He started planting non-browning Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples in 2013 in British Columbia. After almost a decade of planting and testing apples, Neal and his wife, Louisa, asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow the sale of the genetically modified apples.
“We see this as less about genetic modification and more about convenience,” Carter said. “I think consumers are very ready for apples that don’t go brown. Everyone can identify with that ‘yuck’ factor.”
The Carters hope the convenience of buying 10-ounce bags of sliced apples will override the negative connotations of GMOs. If the initial launch is successful, Carter hopes for wide distribution in the fall.
