Monday, February 16, 2015

An Apple a Day Gets Approved Any Day

The government has approved the commercial planting of genetically engineered apples that don't brown when sliced or bruised. The developer Okanagan Specialty Fruits, says the non-browning feature will make apples more appealing to consumers and food service companies. However executives in the apple industry worry the biotech apples will face controversy from some consumers along with them loosing exports in countries that do not like genetically modified foods. The Department of Agriculture has considered these issues, however under the law, approval is based on whether a genetically modified crop poses a treat to other plants. The apples do not pose any risk. The apples are genetically engineered to suppress the production of an enzyme that causes browning when the cells in the apple are injured, for example by slicing. But over time they will still rot a turn brown. 

In my opinion, although the browning of apples is not appealing to me in anyway, I'm not a fan of it being genetically altered to prevent it. There are other ways to prevent the browning for a bit more time, for instance, Lemon juice, which is natural. That's just my opinion though, I'm not going to be the guinea pig for an apple. 

5 comments:

  1. I agree with your point about lemon juice. It's a natural way to prevent the browning that naturally occurs in the apples. I feel like genetically modified foods are going to explode and be everywhere in the future. I just wish that legislators would be more open to discussion about issues that people have with GM foods.

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  2. I personally find no fault in the exploration of genetically modified food and produce. I think this field will be a forefront in upcoming scientific discoveries. But, I completely agree with your point about becoming a "guinea pig" for GMOs. I would not want these apples on the market until extensive research can prove with complete certainty that it will have no adverse affect on humans or the environment.

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  3. I agree with you on not being a fan. I think that researching certain aspects of genetic modification is great, but I think that a line needs to be established to decide what is too much change. An apple losing its natural characteristics make it seem like you wouldn't even be eating an apple. Aesthetics aren't everything and I don't think designer fruit should be a new trend.

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  4. I agree that more research should be done on GM foods before they are put on the market or into our food supply. Although genetically modified foods may someday aid in world hunger or disease within crops, what is the point if they are potentially hazardous.

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  5. I believe that genetically modifying organisms to prevent their resistance to drought, and disease is necessary in the coming future. With the large population of the world growing a drought, famine or disease could wipe out a large portion of our food supply. However I agree with you on your point that this is basically unnecessary. In no way does modifying an apples appearance increase is longevity or help us out in the long run.

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