Canadian Biotech Company Asks USDA to Approve Genetically Modified Apples

New apples may be coming to the market soon. These apples are supposed to be appealing to growers because they won't brown so quickly after you slice them up. These apples would be genetically modified. A Canadian Biotech company has asked the USDA to approve the apples for sales in the U.S. This process can take years to be approved or denied.

The USDA's biotechnology regulations are in place to make sure that any genetically modified food is safe for the environment, human consumption and other crops. Apples are not the newest or even the most exciting genetically modified food to try to make it's way into the U.S. through the USDA and the FDA. Earlier this year Frankenfish (genetically altered salmon) was considered by the FDA to determine whether it was ready to go to a grocery store near you and whether it should have a label or not.

Frankenfruit seems to be the next item up for consideration in a long line of petitions the USDA keeps getting about genetically modified foods. According to The Boston Globe, the USDA has considered over a 100 petitions already for genetically modified foods. Some of them have gained approval through the USDA and the FDA. Genetically modified tomatoes, potatoes, corn, squash and radishes are already on the market without labels to tell you about the foods bioengineering or modifications.

U.S. apple growers are not taking a stand either way at the moment. Some growers claim to see the benefit and market potential of a non-browning apple while others are claiming certain questions need to be answered before they can determine whether they are interested in genetically modified apples.

The one big question is; Will people buy it? If the answer is yes then U.S. apple growers are sure to be interested. However, the current fights against genetically altered and engineered food in the news is a sign that not everyone is ready for a market of unknown science foods.

Sources:
The Boston Globe
Gawker