Genetically Modified Apples Part 2

 Genetically Modified Apples Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

It is one of the questions of the ages. Should we genetically modify foods or leave them as they are. A Canadian company is now asking the U.S. to approve a modified apple that won’t brown after it is cut. Neal Carter, president of the company that developed the apples, said the technology would lower the cost of producing fresh slices, which have become a popular addition to children's lunch boxes, and make apples more popular in salads and other quick meals. Todd Fryhover, President of the Washington Apple Commission is not keen on the idea of introducing these genetically modified trees since there really is no way to keep them contained through pollination.

FRYHOVER: How do you contain, how do you self contain this tree or this genetically altered tree and keep it separate from everything else? Eventually, if you want to be one of these green people, eventually all of your apple will have some sort of genetical mutation to it.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has considered about 100 petitions for genetically engineered or modified crops. Those that have drawn the most attention have been engineered to withstand certain weed killers, but among those the agency has approved are tomatoes altered to ripen more slowly and plums that resist a specific virus. This is the first petition for apples. The approval process can take years, and it's not clear the apples will be accepted even if they pass government inspection.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.