CASHMERE, Wash. (AP) — A Canadian biotechnology company is seeking U.S. approval of a genetically modified apple that keeps its color when sliced or bitten into.
Okanagan Specialty Fruits of Summerland, British Columbia, is seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration to market what it calls an “Arctic” apple. The company thinks the modification that keeps the apple from browning could boost sales of sliced apples.
Apple industry leaders say it’s too soon to know whether they’d be interested in the new apple. They say they need to know how much it would cost to plant and whether people would buy it.
Washington Apple Commission president Todd Fryhover says most people don’t like the idea of genetically modified food.
USDA approval can take years.
