There are natural ways to keep an apple from browning such
as applying lemon, lime and even pineapple juice as they have the
citric acid necessary to prevent oxidation. Sea salting is another
option as it effectively acts as a preservative.
But according to the Washington Agriculture Dept., GMO apples could replace all of these methods straight from the
vineyard since gene sequences could be manipulated with the same end result.
An Economic Disaster
And Abuse Towards Nature
“This is an economic disaster,” Henry House, an organic apple grower in Davis, Calif., recently warned.
More than 60 million tons of apples are grown worldwide each year - the equivalent of 20lb per person.
Organic growers such as House fear that honeybees will
spread genetically engineered apple pollen and contaminate organic
orchards. Some consumer advocates maintain a more general antipathy
toward engineered foods, while industry groups that include the
Northwest Horticultural Council in Yakima, Wash., also object to what
would be the first genetically engineered apple in commercial
production.
As of yet, no genetically modified apples have been approved
anywhere in the world. It is expected, however, that the amount of GM
apple field tests will keep increasing.
Washington state accounts for 44 percent of the nation’s apple-bearing land, with 146,000 acres.
The U.S. Apple Association, noting that “browning is a natural process
related to the exposure to oxygen,” has voiced opposition to the
Arctic apple.
Thousands of others have weighed in as the Agriculture Department’s
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service considers whether to grant
“non-regulated status” to varieties called the Arctic Golden and the
Arctic Granny. Approval would give the commercial green light to British
Columbia’s Okanagan Specialty Fruits.
Processing of GMO Apples Well Underway
The information from gene regulations of the Golden Delicious variety
of apples is already being used to breed red-fleshed apples which
are supposedly more attractive to consumers. After all, we wouldn't
want consumers to think there are a few bad apples of any variety
would we?
Ever imagine eating an apple with a desire to curb your appetite for
the rest of the day? Well it's becoming a reality as genetically
modified apples that suppress appetite could also be in the pipeline,
with the first varieties with enhanced appetite suppressing compounds on
shelves within five years.
Farmers need not worry about slow growth of apple trees. Now breeders
will be able to screen seedlings for key genes, vastly speeding up the
process while destroying the Mother Nature's diversity that perfectly
tunes apple cultivation.
Researcher Roger Hellens of New Zealand firm
Plant & Food Research,
said: ‘Now we have the sequence of the apple genome, we will be
able to identify the genes which control the characteristics that our
sensory scientists have identified as most desired by consumers.
Amit Dhingra, of Washington State University in the US, said:
'Before genome sequencing, the best we could do was correlate traits
with genes.
'Now we can point to a specific gene and say, "This is the one;
this gene is responsible for this trait". 'Or the trait might be for
something desirable, like flavour in a piece of fruit.'
Hellens said: 'Understanding how important characteristics in
plants are controlled is vital in reducing the time to breed
successful commercial cultivars (varieties).
Company President of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Neal Carter stated that he “expects full deregulation” of the apples this year.
The Arctic apple’s resistance to what scientists call “enzymatic
browning,” which is what happens when a typical apple is cut or
bruised, comes from the insertion of a certain genetic sequence taken
from an apple. The inserted sequence essentially suppresses the
browning process.
With federal approval, the company no longer would need special permits
before it put the genetically modified apples into production. If they
get the go-ahead, company officials have indicated, the Arctic apples
could reach grocery stores sometime in 2015.
Public Outcry Will Be A Challenge To Acceptance
First, though, the Agriculture Department must process all the public
reactions received in a comment period that’s been extended until Jan.
30. The initial comment period, in 2012, drew more than 72,000
statements, including many form letters from opponents. The latest
period has drawn more than 6,100 comments, many of them passionately
worded from opponents of genetically modified organisms.
“Growing these GMO apples is insane,” Loxahatchee, Fla., resident Ellie Jensen wrote last month.
While the public comments have often been skeptical, federal officials
have sounded sympathetic. In an 83-page draft environmental assessment
completed last year, Agriculture Department scientists recommended
approving the product they think can help the apple industry.
“Browning reduces apple quality by causing detrimental flavor and
nutritional changes that limit apple’s fresh-market, fresh-cut and
processing applications,” the Agriculture Department officials noted.
Officials loudly claim that organic growers “will not be substantially
affected” by the “limited acreage” planted with the genetically
engineered crops, but then added that organic growers “may need to
discuss their needs” with neighbors who opt for the Arctic apples.
If extra genes allowed the apple to adapt for millions of years,
do humans really have the right to silence
specific genes to enhance the appearance of Mother Nature's abundance
or even the consumer's palate?
When genetic engineers insert a new gene into any organism
there are "position effects" which can lead to unpredictable
changes in the pattern of gene expression and
genetic function. The protein product of the
inserted gene may carry out unexpected reactions
and
produce potentially toxic products.
The Agriculture Department, moreover, is effectively limited to
considering whether a new product poses a potential plant risk, and
questions such as potential market impact or consumer reaction aren’t
really part of the equation.
“In general, this administration and past administrations have been
very favorable toward biotechnology,” acknowledged Schlect, of the
horticultural council.
GMOs Will Never Be The Answer To A Sustainable Food Supply
There are also projects developing insect resistant, transgenic
apples. In the US, transgenic apples with delayed softening are being
developed with longer shelf life, so that fruit can ripen on the tree.
There is no end to the methods of madness that GMO scientists are
pursuing to alter Mother Nature.
Genetically modified foods are NOT the answer. Crop uniformity and gene altering such as the research being employed by
Plant & Food Research
will only reduce genetic diversity making these fruits more vulnerable
to disease and pests. The unnatural
gene transfers will only create new toxins and weaknesses
making us all vulnerable to long-term and potentially persistent
illnesses.
We should all be making efforts to take these independent studies very
seriously and demand that government agencies reproduce those studies
instead of depending on those paid by biotech companies.
Natasha Longo
has a master's degree in nutrition and is a certified
fitness and nutritional counselor. She has
consulted on public health
policy and procurement in Canada, Australia,
Spain, Ireland, England and
Germany.
