GMO Apple to be marketed in the US 2016

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....another....heads up!



Arctic apple developed in B.C. approved for sale in U.S.
Genetically modified fruit inhibits enzyme that causes fruit to turn brown

CBC News Posted: Feb 13, 2015 10:43 AM PT Last Updated: Feb 13, 2015 11:06 AM PT

http://i.cbc.ca/1.2426531.1423854282!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/arctic-apple.jpg
The Arctic apple on the right, does not brown like the conventional apple on the left, because the genes which produce polyphenol oxidase have been silenced, meaning the chemical reaction that leads to browning does not take place. (Okanagan Specialty Fruits)

A company in B.C.'s Okanagan region is celebrating today after its genetically modified, non-browning Arctic apple was approved for deregulation in the U.S.

The Arctic apple doesn't oxidize — or turn brown — because its developers have figured out how to adjust the growing process to inhibit the browning enzyme.

"The commercial approval of Arctic apples, our company's flagship product, is the biggest milestone yet for us, and we can't wait until they're available for consumers," Neal Carter, president and founder of Okanagan Specialty Fruits said in a statement Friday.

Two varieties of the trademarked Arctic apples will be marketed at first — the Arctic Granny and the Arctic Golden — with further varieties expected to be available to consumers in the future.

"All we've done is reduce the expression of a single enzyme; there are no novel proteins in Arctic fruit and their nutrition and composition is equivalent to their conventional counterparts," Carter's statement continues.

But when news of the B.C. cultivation first emerged in 2012, a poll commissioned by the B.C. Fruit Growers' Association and a group of Quebec growers showed significant concern among the public, with 69 per cent of respondents opposing approval of the Arctic apple.

In its decision to deregulate the fruit, the United States Department of Agriculture said a plant risk assessment showed the genetically engineered apples were "unlikely to pose a plant pest risk to agriculture and other plants in the U.S."

It also stated that the result of an environmental assessment found "deregulation is not likely to have a significant impact on the human environment."

The first apples should be on shelves by late 2016.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/arctic-apple-developed-in-b-c-approved-for-sale-in-u-s-1.2956546

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From the Center for Food Safety:


USDA Approves Genetically Engineered Apple Despite Health Concerns
February 13th, 2015

February 13, 2015 (Washington, DC)—Center for Food Safety today expressed deep concern over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to approve a first-of-its-kind genetically engineered (GE) apple that doesn't brown after bruising or slicing. The apple, developed by the company Okanagan Specialty Fruits, uses a relatively new form of genetic engineering called RNA interference or gene silencing, which has raised numerous concerns from consumer groups, environmentalists, and the apple industry. Like other GE products in the U.S., no mandatory labeling will be required. This approval allows commercial production of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties of Okanagan’s non-browning “Arctic” apple, and the company has Fuji and Gala versions on the horizon.

“This product is completely unnecessary and poses numerous risks to apple growers, the food industry and consumers,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director for Center for Food Safety. “For USDA to turn a blind eye to these risks for such an inessential technological ‘advance’ is foolish and potentially costly.”

The genetic engineering of such a commonly grown fruit could cause contamination of nearby organic or conventional apple orchards. The unlabeled GE apples, which are meant to appeal to fresh-cut apple slice processors and the food service industry, could also find their way into non-GE fruit slices, juice, baby foods or apple sauce, products predominantly consumed by children and babies who are at increased risk for any adverse health effects.

Pre-sliced apples are a frequently recalled food product. Once the whole fruit is sliced, it has an increased risk of exposure to pathogens. Since browning is a sign that apples are no longer fresh, “masking” this natural signal could lead people to consume contaminated apples, which is why some call it the “botox apple.”

“This decision is scientifically irresponsible and misguided,” said Dr. Doug Gurian-Sherman, senior scientist at Center for Food Safety. “The agency has failed to analyze whether suppressing fruit browning with these novel RNAs impacts the rest of the gene family in the tree, or whether there are off-target impacts on other genes. USDA should hold off on deregulating RNAi-engineered crops until they have gotten a grip on the latest research in this area.”

Unlike earlier cut-and-splice techniques focused on DNA, the new techniques, called RNA interference or RNAi, are based on the manipulation of RNA molecules in order to dial back the expression of, or silence, genes. The Arctic Apple has been engineered to reduce polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzymes responsible for browning in apple flesh after bruising. However, these enzymes are also found throughout the tree, where impacts of the engineering were not determined. In addition, recent studies show that interference targeting one gene might unpredictably turn off, or down, unrelated genes.

In other plants, PPO genes are known to bolster pest and stress resistance. As a result, non-browning apple trees might be more vulnerable to disease and require more pesticides than conventional apples. Okanagan did not analyze PPO gene functions in apples other than browning in the fruit. Nor did it attempt to determine whether it has inadvertently silenced genes outside the PPO family. In addition, the Okanagan assessment also gave short shrift to potential effects on wild pollinators and honeybees, human nutrition, and weediness.

The U.S. Apple Association, Northwest Horticultural Council (which represents Washington apple growers, who grow over 60% of the apples in the U.S.), British Columbia Fruit Growers Association and other grower groups have already voiced their disapproval of these GE apples due to the negative impact they could have on farmers growing organic and non-GE apples, and the apple industry as a whole.

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3753/usda-approves-genetically-engineered-apple-despite-health-concerns#

Here's a document the above organization sent to the USDA (76 pages):

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/refs-added-cfs-comments-on-docket-no-aphis-2012-0025-arctic-apples--with-references_09957.pdf

[wnlight]

People should demonstrate out in front of food stores until management starts marking GMO foods as such. If people don't care to bother about it, then they can eat GMO foods and see what may happen. At least that is one of the crimes against humanity that can be controlled.

Can GMO foods be labeled as "Organic" if they are grown according to organic rules? I think so.

Actually, most foods in the USA these days are manufactured by chemical companies. The raw materials may come from the farm, but take a look at the long list of chemical ingredients.