Arctic Apple is a trade name for a type of fruit that does not turn brown when exposed to air. Shoppers can buy packages of sliced Arctic Golden apples. The developer, Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada, released the apple in 2016 to a few stores in the Midwest. It will now be available at 400 stores throughout the Midwest and Southern California.

The fruit is interesting because it was created through genetic engineering. We got in touch with Dr. Sally Mackenzie at the Center for Plant Innovation at the University of Nebraska and Dr. Patrick Byrne, professor of plant breeding and genetics at Colorado State University, to peel back the layers and find out what’s underneath this apple.

How Does It Work?

“Arctic Apples are the first genetically engineered food in the US to use gene silencing via RNA interference to reduce production of a naturally occurring protein,” Dr. Byrne said. “In the case of Arctic Apples, the protein whose production is reduced is polyphenol oxidase (PPO), an enzyme responsible for oxidizing phenolic compounds and causing a browning reaction in apples after slicing or bruising.”

Dr. Mackenzie explained that scientists used a technology known as RNA interference to turn off a specific gene. “The gene that is being silenced in the apple is a polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that participates in the oxidation process that causes browning and off flavor,” she said.

This infographic shows why fruit turns brown when exposed to oxygen. To “turn off” the enzyme, scientists developed a gene construction that the cell recognizes so that the targeted gene is affected.

“What is important to understand is that we are introducing segments of the plant’s own gene to trigger this targeting. Therefore, we are not introducing foreign DNA, but the plant’s own DNA to cause the change,” she said.

This process is “cisgenic” gene editing and is not the same as “transgenic” technology which introduces DNA from a different organism. That process has been used in GMO plants which farmers have grown for many years.

“This differs from genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant or insect-resistant corn, soybeans, and canola, in which a protein-encoding gene from another organism was introduced into plant cells and the novel protein is produced in the plant,” Dr. Byrne said.

Is It Safe?

Dr. Mackenzie emphasized that there are no health concerns with any GMO foods.

“In fact, transgenic technologies on the market have a perfect record for food safety, without a single documented incident of health concern as a consequence of GM technologies. The Arctic Apple presents no health concerns to date that could be reasoned from its design,” she said.

The FDA approved both the Golden Delicious and Granny Smith varieties of Arctic Apples. Foods derived from genetically engineered plants must meet the same legal and safety standards as foods derived from traditional plant breeding methods.

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration evaluated extensive information provided by the crop’s developer, Okanagan Specialty Fruits. It found that differences in compositional analysis between Arctic and conventional apples ‘were small and would not adversely affect the nutritional quality of the apples or raise any safety concerns’,” Dr. Byrne said.

When novel proteins are introduced in foods, there is concern about the potential for allergic reaction, he said. “In this case, the main effect is suppression of a native gene, rather than introduction of a new gene for the non-browning effect. The only new protein expressed is a small amount of the enzyme made by the selectable marker gene, which has previously been found by FDA to pose no food safety concerns,” he said.

What’s Next?

Expect to see more cisgenic foods in the future.

“This product has shown that it is technically feasible to engineer a plant to suppress production of a protein, even for a multi-gene family of proteins like PPO,” Dr. Byrne said.

Dr. Mackenzie predicts a wide range of new products will make use of the technology.

“We will see more varied types of crop improvements and novel traits, since regulations of cisgenic traits are less onerous and so it will be more feasible to introduce improvements to more varied crops and with much more attention to consumer desire rather than profitability,” she said.

The Best Food Facts team got to sample Arctic Apples and you can see what we thought.

As Arctic Apples make their debut in the marketplace, they introduce cisgenic gene editing that uses the plant’s own DNA to express a specific trait. The non-browning apples could be the first of many foods that use this technique.

Originally published Jan. 31, 2017.

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Functional Foods
People became less concerned about eliminating foods from their diets and focused on what they should add in 2016. These “functional foods” contribute health benefits to the diet. We looked at some of these claims for foods including sprouted grains, apple cider vinegar, probiotics, turmeric and omega 3.

Simple Ingredients
Food companies focused on using easy-to-understand ingredients in their products in 2016. Many of the changes were sparked by consumers who want more natural ingredients. Best Food Facts asked If I can’t pronounce an ingredient is it bad? and our experts answered.

Genetically Modified Foods
Advances continued to be made in 2016 with new genetically modified foods introduced. We learned about a genetically engineered apple that does not turn brown when sliced and even got to sample it. Other new foods are a specially developed salmon that grows at a quicker rate and a potato that resists bruising and browning.

Antibiotics
Several restaurants and retailers announced plans to source meat from animals that are not treated with antibiotics. The issue raised awareness of how important antibiotics are in human health and protecting the health of animals. We did a four-part video series on antibiotics, looking at the issues surrounding resistance, how to understand food labels and best practices in the kitchen when preparing meat.

Cauliflower is Everywhere
The humble cauliflower became the star of the show in 2016. It was roasted, riced, made into pizza crust, in mac and cheese – you name it, cauliflower did it this year. The advice from the experts at Best Food Facts is Eat Your Veggies, so any way to incorporate more healthy vegetables into daily meals is a welcome addition.

Meal Kit Delivery
This year, meal kit delivery became mainstream. Some big name companies were joined by local start-ups` in offering to deliver the ingredients to cook a meal at home. The service appeals to many because it combines convenience with the goodness of a home cooked meal. Best Food Facts provided some tips on monthly meal planning.

What do you think was the biggest trend of the year? Let us know by voting in the poll!

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OSF sent us a few of the Golden Delicious variety of Arctic Apple for us to try. To find out if there was a difference in taste between the genetically modified apple and a traditional apple you can currently find at the grocery store, we put them to the test with our Best Food Facts team. Here’s what they said:

Neither this video nor the taste test was sponsored by OSF. The opinions shared are those of the taste testers.

_{The image “In one movement….” by storebukkebruse is licensed under CC BY 2.0.}

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What factors drove the development of a non-browning variety of apple?

Carter:

Apple consumption has been flat-to-declining for the past couple decades, while obesity rates have been increasing. Consumers are demanding more convenience than ever and browning is the number one barrier to apples meeting the demand as a more “snackable” food.

We know the demand is there, as evidenced by findings such as the Produce Marketing Association determining that apples are consumers’ most requested packaged produce item. Non-browning apples open the door to higher-quality, lower-cost fresh-cut apple products because they reduce the need for anti-browning solutions, which can add up to 40% in processing costs and may affect taste. Additionally, a recent study from Cornell University found that children eat around 70% more apples when they’re served pre-sliced.

So, we know that Arctic® apples can boost consumption by offering new product opportunities, opening new markets, reducing costs, improving quality and boosting convenience. Additionally, apples are one of the most wasted foods on the planet, and much of that waste is due to superficial bruising/browning throughout the supply chain. Another key reason we decided to make non-browning apples our flagship project over other possibilities is because the stigma attached to them being a biotech product is largely balanced by the fact that Arctic apples are one of the only biotech foods with a direct consumer benefit.

In fact, the fact that most biotech crops haven’t offered consumer benefits to date is perhaps the main reason a stigma exists in the first place.

What kinds of things take place during the approval process?

Carter:

It has been a long and rigorous process! In the mid-90s, we became aware of work being done in Australia to develop potatoes that had reduced levels of polyphenol oxidase, the enzyme that causes browning in many fruits and vegetables. We knew this would provide benefits for the apple industry and spent a number of years determining the best way to apply this technology to apples.

Once we were able to successfully prove the science in 2002, we received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to plant field trials in 2003 (after a great deal of paperwork and satisfying a number of requirements). We then had these trials closely monitored, primarily by independent horticultural specialists who collected a great deal of data. A wide range of testing and analysis on both the orchard and the fruit itself was performed to satisfy USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requirements, such as environmental impact evaluation (cross-pollination studies, ensuring no plant pest risks exist, etc.) compositional analysis, testing for novel proteins, and much more.

After sufficient information was collected, we submitted a petition requesting deregulation (commercial approval) to the USDA in 2010. After extensive data review and two additional public comment periods, the process is complete and the Arctic apple can now be made available to the U.S. public. That said, it takes a number of years for newly-planted trees to produce significant quantities of fruit. So, we expect to have small quantities available for test markets in fall 2016, with an increasing amount of fruit available each consecutive year.

Will consumers be able to tell the difference in taste and texture? Will they be more expensive than regular apples?

Carter:

For the first bite of a perfect, undamaged piece of fruit, an Arctic® Granny’s taste and texture would be indistinguishable from a conventional Granny Smith. The same goes for an Arctic® Golden vs. a conventional Golden Delicious or any other Arctic variety compared to its conventional counterpart. But, that changes if both had been already bitten, sliced or bruised, because Arctic apples better retain their positive sensory characteristics.

While OSF will not have control over retail pricing, Arctic apple varieties will likely be comparable in price to their conventional counterparts, thus offering a better value to the consumer.

Are there benefits to the Arctic® apple besides the fact it won’t turn brown?

Carter:

In addition to the improved visual and mouth appeal in sliced apples, nutrients like vitamin C, antioxidants and phenolic content that is typically “burned up” in the browning reaction are better retained in Arctic fruit. As previously mentioned, Arctic apples also avoid the need for costly anti-browning treatments that can create an “off-taste”, and in some circumstances create allergy concerns such as sulfite use in dried apple products.

For whole apples, superficial bruises will not result in unsightly brown marks, which offers a number of benefits. Many apples are thrown out or downgraded because of superficial damage from when they are picked until they are eaten. Arctic apples can greatly reduce this waste.

Another great example of a benefit the average consumer would never consider or be aware of is that lighter-skinned varieties such as Golden Delicious are typically warmed up prior to packing. This is done to make them softer so they’re less prone to packing-line damage. However, this costs time and money, and also permanently reduces the crispness of these apples. Arctic Goldens would not need to undergo this process – benefitting both packers and consumers.

Additionally, if there is meaningful damage on a piece of fruit, such as from bacterial or fungal infection, Arctic apples will still show discoloration. This makes it easier for consumers to judge the true quality of the fruit.

Aldwinckle:

I think the new technology will increase consumption of apples, especially by kids who would otherwise not eat them once they turned brown despite being perfectly healthy and nutritious. The ability to have pre-packaged apple slices in the produce section that don’t brown will be a great convenience for parents looking for a nutritous snack for their children’s lunch boxes. Nutrition will likely improve as a result, because apples contain many nutrients that are known to help keep us healthy.

Is there a way for consumers to tell they are genetically modified?

Carter:

We plan to work with marketers of Arctic apples to assure that consumers who buy apples can identify Arctic apples at the retail shelf, as well as provide a mechanism by which they can learn more about Arctic apples at point of sale.

Do you think consumers are ready for a genetically modified apple?

Aldwinckle:

I can appreciate consumer concerns, and my hunch is that they’re worried because the technology is new to them. A non-browning apple sounds unusual, and we’ve gotten used to apples turning brown. I can tell you, however, that this technology is very safe. We’re not introducing any new genes to stop the browning effect – we’re actually silencing the genes that cause the browning. It’s a very gentle technology, and I’ve found no danger to the healthfulness of the fruit.

Carter:

Absolutely! We’ve done a great deal of consumer research over the past few years, including focus groups, online surveys, taste tests and more. Our findings consistently demonstrate that the vast majority of consumers are interested in non-browning Arctic apples. And, while we know that some consumers are initially unsupportive because Arctic apples are produced with biotechnology, once they learn more about the science behind them, most consumers’ likelihood to purchase increases to an even higher level than before they knew they were genetically engineered.

_{“Camera Test Apple” by Kirinohana is licensed under CC BY.}

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