News
2013-05-10 | permalink
Non-browning GMO apples may be deregulated in tghe USA by the end of 2013
If approved, two varieties of apple, Arctic Granny Smith and Arctic Golden Delicious, will be the second GM fruits allowed into the U.S. food supply. Created by Okanagan Specialty Fruits in British Columbia, Canada, Arctic apples do not bruise or brown when sliced. Browning in apples and potatoes results from polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that produces melanin, a compound that contains iron and gives cells a brown tint. To create Arctic apples, Okanagan scientists silenced the apples’ PPO genes by inserting a man-made gene that contains portions of four natural PPO genes. As a consequence, Arctic apples produce less than ten percent of the PPO produced by conventional apples and therefore do not brown when sliced.
The Washington Times, USA: GMO apples may be deregulated by the end of 2013
