From the Washington Post January 24, 2016:
The first genetically modified, non-browning apples will soon go on sale in the United States. The fruit, sold sliced and marketed under the brand Arctic Apple, could hit a cluster of Midwest grocery stores by Feb. 1, an early test run for the controversial apple, which has been genetically modified to eliminate the browning that occurs when an apple is left out in the open air.Critics and advocates of genetic engineering say that the apple could be a turning point in the nation's highly polarizing debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While genetic modifications have in the past been mainly defended as a way to protect crops, the Arctic Apple would be one of the first GMOs marketed directly to consumers as more convenient. "What companies are desperate for is some really popular GMO product to hit the market," said McKay Jenkins, the author of a forthcoming history of the debate. "Any successful product could lift the cloud over GMOs."
"This apple is understudied, unlabeled, and unnecessary," said Dana Perls, the senior food and technology campaigner with environmental nonprofit Friends of the Earth. "It's only a matter of time before consumers realize they're being falsely marketed to " And then there will be an uproar."
[One food biochemist on a recent talk show warned that these genetic modifications will wreak havoc with human metabolism and with our immune systems.]
SCHOOLS ARE NEXT:
From the company producing these GMO apples: "We might eventually sell them to distributors for service in schools. We thought our initial go-to-market strategy would be through food service. But a significant number of retailers reached out, and we realized -- they're ready for us."
Among the loudest critics of the apple are Friends of the Earth and Food and Water Watch, both environmental groups, and the Organic Consumers Association, Consumers Union and Center for Food Safety, all of which represent customers. CFS has particularly faulted Okanagan for not running more tests on the impact of genetic change to the apple tree, as opposed to just the fruit.
"It's an unnecessary genetic change intended to grow market share," said Martha Crouch, a plant biologist and consulting scientist for CFS. "It carries with it environmental and health risks. That puts a larger burden of proof on the company that makes it."
Crucially, the apples' packaging will not explicitly declare that they're genetically engineered -- to get that information, shoppers will have to scan a QR code with a Smartphone. This was one of the most controversial points of the Obama administration's GMO labeling law, which requires genetically-modified ingredients be noted with an on-package statement, approved symbol, or electronic code. Okanagan has argued that, thanks to press coverage, most consumers will already know that its apples are GMOs.
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Back on the front line in the War Between Mexican Avocados vs. American GMO potatoes:
On January 16, 2 US organizations released a press advisory that Mexico's agriculture department had published a new pest risk assessment for U.S. potatoes and a requirement sheet for the import of those potatoes. The release said that U.S. and Mexican agricultural officials still have yet to "define the process by which imports will be allowed," and that this action as "a very positive step in a 15-year process to gain access to all areas of Mexico." The release stated that immediate access was possible, though the filing of lawsuits could stop implementation of the effort. The next day, these same executives for the same two organizations, responding to an email from The Produce News, said it was their understanding that access to Mexico was postponed indefinitely until Mexican regulations are in place.
U.S. potatoes have year-round availability but one potato industry member said he has been watching this play out for more than a decade and is not hopeful that a resolution is imminent.
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From Mexico News Daily | Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Amidst steadily growing worries over the future of Mexico's trade with the United States comes an incident on the border that some might think is a presage of things to come. But what will Americans say if there's no guacamole to go with their Super Bowl nachos? Five trucks carrying a shipment of 100 tons of Jalisco avocados were stopped last Wednesday at the Mexico-U.S. border and rejected by American authorities.The director of the avocado producers' association of Jalisco was surprised by the decision issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as producers in the state had been working alongside that agency for months to meet its technical requirements. "We are unaware of what happened," said Ignacio GÃ ³mez, adding that it was not clear if the decision was related to President Donald Trump's assuming office on Friday.
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