They turn brown once cut or bit into. This is a key reason consumers don't eat more apples, parents don't include them in school lunches, and why they aren't used more frequently in salads in grocery store delis or at picnics and parties.
But this is all about to change as Arctic® Apples launch this fall in select retailers across the U.S.
Enzymatic browning is a natural effect in apples, causing them to start turning brown once the flesh is exposed to oxygen. In Arctic® Apples, the enzyme that causes this reaction has been turned off through genetic engineering.
While riding in a van with nine other dietitians and food bloggers last week (#sponsoredtravel), I had the opportunity to learn about and taste these apples. They had been cleaned, cored and cut the night before. But even after 16+ hours, the flesh was white, the apples were crisp, and they tasted amazing.
The first apple tree capable of producing non-browning apples had another apple gene inserted into its DNA to turn off enzymatic browning. But each tree after that has been developed like all other apple trees -- by taking a bud and "chipping" it to root stock, creating a new tree. Three years later, the tree is ready to bare its first crop of apples. These apples were 20 years in the making, the length of time it took Neal Carter from Okanagan Specialty Fruits and 46 of his friends and family who funded the project to develop the technology and commercialize apples with the non-browning trait. Each new acre of apple trees cost more than $25K to plant. This wasn't a project for the faint of heart.
To date, biotechnology has been used primarily to benefit farmers, providing pest resistance in the field. The non-browning Arctic® Apples directly benefit consumers. Now, parents can slice apples and set them on the counter or in the refrigerator, available as a snack whenever kids are hungry. Fewer apples will be thrown in the trash as they no longer turn brown. Colleges, university, and school lunch programs will be able to serve appealing apple slices alone or in salads.
In all cases, the technology used to create genetically engineered products (think GMO) has been proven safe. But Arctic® Apples may be the products that increases consumer acceptance of the technology as they have tangible benefits to them. These varieties make it easier for all to more readily enjoy apples and consume more fruits. It can lessen food waste. What’s not to love about biotechnology and Arctic® Apples?