The apple that never browns
A Canadian company promises an apple that stays white when sliced. Will this make the fruit more popular among snackers?

Okanagan Specialty Fruits, a small biotechnology company based in British Columbia, has genetically engineered apples whose cores won't brown, yielding fruit that will still look fresh even after it's cut open. Although the stain-resistant apples contain "no nutritional bonus" compared to run-of-the mill Granny Smiths, the company — which is currently seeking USDA approval — is hoping its innovation will convince more consumers to snack on apple slices. Here's a brief guide:
How does it work?
Okanagan licensed the technology from Australian researchers who initially experimented with potatoes. Those researchers were able to "silence" the enzyme that causes browning in spuds, and, by extension, apples.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Will the USDA go for a genetically modified apple?
The apple commissioner of Washington state, where half of the U.S. supply is grown, says that genetically modified "is a bad word in our industry," but proponents like Alex Berezow, editor of RealClearScience.com, say "there is overwhelming evidence that genetically modified foods are safe." In any case, says Kay Moeller at Gather, the USDA "has previously approved modified tomatoes and grapes," so "it's very likely they'll give the nod to Okanagan's Arctic apple." However, the review process "can take years."
Could this boost apples' popularity?
The fruit is already hot. Sales of cut-and-packaged apples are booming, even on airplanes and McDonald's menus. Still, the jury's out on whether American consumers would actually swallow this variety; at the moment, says Curtis Cartier at The Seattle Weekly, the trend is "more toward the natural and organic than the genetically modified and just-plain-weird."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Sources: Toronto Globe and Mail, Gather, Bloomberg Businessweek, Associated Press, Seattle Weekly
-
Mountainhead: Jesse Armstrong's tech bro satire sparkles with 'weapons-grade zingers'
The Week Recommends The Succession creator's first feature film lacks the hit TV show's 'dramatic richness' – but makes for a horribly gripping watch
-
Seeing Each Other: Portraits of Artists – a 'riveting' exhibition
The Week Recommends Pallant House exhibition offers fascinating instances of painterly reciprocity
-
Geoff Dyer shares his favourite books on war
The Week Recommends Out of Sheer Rage author chooses works by Martha Gellhorn, Michael Herr and Dexter Filkins