Everyone loves time-saving short cuts, but you really should read this before you grab that bag of pre-sliced apples. 10-oz. bags of Arctic brand pre-sliced genetically engineered non-browning apples are now on sale in grocery stores in the Midwest according to a news release from The Packer.
To accomplish the non-browning effect, scientists at Okanagan Specialty Fruits introduced genetically engineered genes that make their apples produce double stranded RNA (dsRNA) to shut off the browning genes. The question that must be asked: if we consume the dsRNA in the apple, can it influence how our genes work? Will these genetically modified organisms (GMOs), eaten as apple pies, apple salad, or whatever, change our development, physiology, and behavior?
The laboratory process used to create these apples carries multiple health risks according to Dr. Jack Heinemann, a professor of genetics and molecular biology at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Jeffrey Smith interviewed Dr. Heinemann just after the first approval of the genetically engineered non-browning apple in 2015.
Watch this video to understand the risks.
Take a deeper dive into the science. See this well-documented ARTICLE.
And oh by the way . . . Okanagan Specialty Fruits is a wholly owned subsidiary of Intrexon, owned by syn-bio billionaire, Randal J. Kirk. Intrexon is also the company behind Oxitec, makers of the genetically modified mosquitoes, and AquaBounty, producers of genetically modified salmon. Of further note: Robert B. Shapiro, former President and CEO of Monsanto, is a member of the Intrexon Board of Directors.