No “Skull and Crossbones” for GMO Apple Labels

The company behind GMO apples hitting the market later this fall says the apples won’t be labeled as containing GMO’s. The arctic variety apples developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits in British Columbia,  will instead include a QR code, as outlined in the GMO labeling bill that was passed by Congress and signed by then President Barack Obama.

Neil Carter, founder of the company, said last week: “We didn’t want put ‘GMO’ and a skull and crossbones on the package.”  The MIT Technology Review reports the product will be the first significant test of a GMO whose modification is meant to appeal to consumers, rather than help farmers increase production.

The company plans to sell the apples as bags of pre-sliced fruit in up to 400 stores in the Midwest and Southern California at launch.  Carter and his research cohorts used gene splicing to create a non-browning apple, the artic apple, to increase apple sales and reduce food waste.

About 45% of fruits and vegetables grown are thrown away, according to the United Nations.

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