Green Child Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 10

do we need a non-browning apple ? |by Suzanne Bertani Last month it was announced that the USDA approved an apple that doesn’t brown. Is this simply a hybrid version of our children’s favorite fruit? What’s the big deal about an apple that doesn’t brown? We asked Suzanne from Mommy Footprint to break down the concerns activists and parents have about this genetically modified fruit. What is a GM (Genetically Modified) Apple? Why We Don’t Trust It Genetically modified food is created by science, not nature. The non-browning apple has 10 been genetically engineered so that it won’t brown if bruised or for 15-18 days after being cut. To ‘silence/stop’ the browning gene, they insert two different bacteria, a plant virus with some genetic material from an apple into the apple cells. If you translate what ‘non-browning’ means for consumers – you are eating a GM apple without knowing how old it is. In a landscape of consumers marching against GMOs concerned for the depleted number of