Non-browning apple coming to U.S. next month but Canada will have to wait

The genetically modified non-browning apples a B.C. man has been developing for more than two decades will finally show up on some U.S. produce shelves next month. ButCanadawill have to wait to take itsbite.

The Arctic apple, developed by OkanaganSpecialty Fruits (OSF), will start being soldinFebruary at 10 different stores in the U.S Midwest marking the first time genetically modified apples will be available in the produce section.

OSF founder and president Neal Carter, who isbased in Summerland, B.C., said thisinitial rollout isn't a commercial launchthat may happen toward theend of the year. Instead OSFistest marketingto see ifshoppers are keen.

"We'lllearn from our American experience and we'll bring that to Canada," he told CBC News Thursday, thoughthere are no finalplans about when that will happen. Carter said it might be two or three years before the Arctic apple shows up on shelves, if not more.

"It's surprisingly complicated to bring a product to market."

'We don't want to demonize the product'

Carter would know. He has been working on developing the Arctic apple since November 1996. The apples don't turn brown because his teamfigured out how to silence the genes that produce the browning enzyme.

Several existing varieties of applies are also slow to brown when exposed to the air, including Cortland, Empire, Ginger Gold and Cameo.

The apples will be sold in the U.S. pre-sliced, but their labelling won't specifically saythey have beengenetically modified. That information is on the website, Carter said,accessible by a code which can be scanned on the packaging.

GMO concerns about new B.C. apple

11 years ago

Duration 2:06

The Arctic Apple won't go brown if you cut it and leave it out

"I don't think we're hiding behind the fact that we use that technique," he said. "We don't want to demonize the product by putting a big GMO sticker on it."

Growers and GMO opponents have raised concerns about genetically engineered crops like the apple and the complicated technology behind it, butHealth Canada has approved it for sale here, as has the Department of Agriculture inthe U.S.

Rene Van Acker, a dean and professor at the Ontario Agriculture College at theUniversity of Guelph, has been studying the relation between genetically modified and non-genetically modified crops for more than 15 years.

He said, with Health Canada's approval, there's no reason to fear the apples.

"Generally, it's not a bad technology and we do have regulators. It's not like someone is producing this in their basement and putting it on a shelf somewhere," he said. "As a scientist, skepticism is healthybut it has to be informed."

But will shoppers bite?

That said, Van Ackerdoesn't think the apples will take off because he doesn't see a big enough consumer demand for them.

"There's no labelling requirements for these apples, so I'm not sure if anyone will know [what they are] necessarily."

And though the browning enzyme genes have been turned off, anArctic applecan still go brownif bacteria or fungi gets toit.

"When an Arctic apple goes brown, it's a second pathogen," Carter said, adding it could happen as soon as a few days after the apple has been slicedbut it might not go brown for a few weeks, if at all.

Carter has touted the technology forlowering the cost of producing fresh slices and making apples a more popular option for quick meals. He admitsthere are still a few hurdles in his way.

"What's holding us back right now is production," he said. The company isworking to expand itsorchard base and planting more trees to grow the apples. It takes a lot of apples to go commercial for the short test rolloutin 10 stores, he figures OSF must have around 6,800 kilograms of apples ready.

Working with the national retailers can also be a challenge, so OSF will focus on regional retailers for now. The company wasbought byIntrexon Corporation in 2015, an American company involved in synthetic biologywho have helped expand itsfootprint in the U.S.

He said getting the apples on the shelf for the first time marks a major milestone.

"We didn't really know if we'd ever get there," Carter said. "It's kind of the end of one chapter and the start of another."

• Arctic apple developed in B.C. approved for sale in Canada
• Non-browning Arctic Apple concerns GMO opponents