Are Genetically Modified Apples Next?

[damngrumpy]

I have been reading in the local paper the quest for approval continues for GM Apple.
The Arctic Apple brand is actually looking to modify more than one variety of apple
over time. They have produced an apple that will not brown if cut or bruised and they
want to grow it in Canada. Originally it was developed in Australia but a grower in
Summerland BC has the Canadian rights and is seeking approval from both Canadian
and American Authorities.
The problem is the Growers are opposed to it, the BC Fruit Growers have voted against
it on more than one occasion and producers are not in favour of it either, they don't want
to embrace GM apple products period. In addition consumers especially in this area do
not want anything to do with it. In fact Canadians more and more are demanding labelling
so they know how to avoid it.
Both Canadian and American Farmers want nothing to do with it for a very good reason.
Science be hanged we know that in the agricultural fruit world if it comes in it will hurt sales
period. In addition it will destroy the Organic Industry.as well.
What is the government agencies position?
Federal regulators "Health Canada" and the "CFIA" only consider that the product is deemed
safe, and alright for the environment. They do not consider economic impact for growers or the
impact on certain sectors of the grower industries such as Organics.
There is a question I have, if it was developed in Australia why are they not marketing it for the
export market of for that matter domestic use? Because there is no support for it.
More and more we are being dictated to by Commercial Agriculture and its marketing arms
Growers are just pushed aside while the special interests introduce damaging aspects both from
a food source to market driven disadvantages. When will Canadians finally speak up?
Oh and we all know the level of competence the CFIA has both with XL Meats and the Process
plant back east. That is where they shut down the small guys in BC that never poisoned anyone
and turned it over to disaster and uncertainty in the marketplace for all producers of ;beef.
I would like to hear your comments pro and con.

 

[L Gilbert]

Can't think of much for cons, but I'd say that the economic impact and the legal ramifications of patented frankenfoods pretty much kills off any cons anyway. Besides, if we get an apple with a bruise or a cut that has browned, we cut out the damaged part and eat the apple. The effort to do that isn't a big deal.
Wifey has 3 types of apples (gravensteins, ambrosias, and spartans) and no complaints about them. I strongly doubt she'd even go for eating this one.

 

[petros]

GMO has it's good points and bad points. Without it we can lose some varieties of foods to diseases. Some GMOs boost nutritional value and yield or add drought resistant traits but when it comes to cosmetic purposes like this....**** it!

 

[damngrumpy]

Petros there is a new apple coming out that has been in the works for quite awhile
its called Salish and it is really good. When I sat on the PICO Board we were getting
it ready for market all I knew it as was SP 493 out of Summerland BC they named it
this month so in the next year or so watch for it. It is good

 

[Goober]

GMO has it's good points and bad points. Without it we can lose some varieties of foods to diseases. Some GMOs boost nutritional value and yield or add drought resistant traits but when it comes to cosmetic purposes like this....**** it!

Tomatoes in grocery stores are a perfect example of a food that has lost nutritional values over the years. All to make it look pretty- gotta have pretty food ya know.

 

[damngrumpy]

In some cases if you actually read the labels of some food for people and then you
looked at a can of dog food there isn't much difference. God what happened to the
food chain, has is shrunk like the gene pool? I swear some people could drown in
the shallow end of the gene pool. Nutrition is something ignored while we wonder
why so many people are sick/

 

[petros]

There are greens who think we should be eating kibble too.

 

[darkbeaver]

The alteration in the chain have no parameters, it's shotgun effect goes wid of the mark both up and down so the chain ain't stable no body can predict how many generations out that the tomatoes start to walk arround eating people. I actually read something almost exactly but not quite like that.

 

[taxslave]

To remain healthy one should avoid all GMOs.

 

[The Old Medic]

Every Apple is "Genetically Modified". This is done naturally by bees and other insects, by pollen from one type of tree blowing onto another kind of tree, and by horticulturalists.

If this had never happened, the only apples available would be small, hard, green and very bitter.

Some people are so silly, believing that every "modification" by man is bad. They extend this to virtually everything.

A dam, built by Beavers, for the purpose of Beavers, is a good thing. A dam, built by Man, for Man's purposes, is a BAD thing. An Apple, genetically modified by nature is a good thing. An Apple modified by man is horrible.

Scientific ignorance is a truly dangerous thing.

 

[Mowich]

Tomatoes in grocery stores are a perfect example of a food that has lost nutritional values over the years. All to make it look pretty- gotta have pretty food ya know.

You hit on one of my biggest gripes - modified tomatoes with a skin tougher than my own and a taste like wet paper, oh and a hefty price tag to boot.

 

[petros]

Every Apple is "Genetically Modified". This is done naturally by bees and other insects, by pollen from one type of tree blowing onto another kind of tree, and by horticulturalists.

If this had never happened, the only apples available would be small, hard, green and very bitter.

Some people are so silly, believing that every "modification" by man is bad. They extend this to virtually everything.

A dam, built by Beavers, for the purpose of Beavers, is a good thing. A dam, built by Man, for Man's purposes, is a BAD thing. An Apple, genetically modified by nature is a good thing. An Apple modified by man is horrible.

Scientific ignorance is a truly dangerous thing.

Apples are 100% cuttings and grafts. There is no natural genetic reproductions used to carry on a cultivar. If the cultivar comes under threat of disease, the choices open to preserving that cultivar are limited to chemical or genetic protection. Which is better for the plant and you?

 

[taxslave]

Every Apple is "Genetically Modified". This is done naturally by bees and other insects, by pollen from one type of tree blowing onto another kind of tree, and by horticulturalists.

If this had never happened, the only apples available would be small, hard, green and very bitter.

Some people are so silly, believing that every "modification" by man is bad. They extend this to virtually everything.

A dam, built by Beavers, for the purpose of Beavers, is a good thing. A dam, built by Man, for Man's purposes, is a BAD thing. An Apple, genetically modified by nature is a good thing. An Apple modified by man is horrible.

Scientific ignorance is a truly dangerous thing.

You better buy a dictionary so you can find out what GMO is. Hint It is not the same as grafting or cloning.

 

[Tonington]

You better buy a dictionary so you can find out what GMO is. Hint It is not the same as grafting or cloning.

The point is that the apple was modified by humans well before it got to the point of grafting. All the food we eat is modified...genetically. Maybe not with molecular techniques, but definitely modified. You don't get thousands of cultivars from one wild species without modification...the traits were selected.