newscanada.com
Do we really need an apple that doesn’t brown?
Enzymatic browning affects the bottom line of the entire apple supply chain and a non-browning apple can provide key benefits:
• Growers will lose fewer apples to bruising;
• Packers will have more apples of higher grade to sell;
• Fresh-cut apples for retailers and food service will have a decreased cost and improved quality;
• Juice processors will have clearer juice for more product opportunities;
• Consumers will eat more apples.
Are there any nutrient differences between Arctic apples and conventional or organic apples?
Essentially, Arctic fruit is identical to other apples, with two main differences:
• Arctic apples don’t brown when bruised, bitten or cut;
• Browning consumes some health-promoting anti-oxidants; Arctic apples retain all of those anti-oxidants;
Are Arctic apple trees an environmental threat to conventional or organic apple trees?
No. Apple trees don’t escape and grow in the wild like other plants.
Apple blossoms are pollinated by bees, not by the wind, so the risk of “gene flow” from an Arctic to a conventional or organic orchard is extremely low.
Arctic grower standards will require buffer distances between Arctic apple orchards and other orchards to virtually eliminate any risks.