Almost three out of four Italians have told the country's leading agricultural organisation Coldiretti that they would not buy an apple that has been genetically modified so it does not brown when sliced.
As reported in the Corriere Ortofrutticolo, Coldiretti carried out the research following the news that Canadian company Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) had applied for permission to sell its non-browning Arctic series in North America.
According to Coldiretti, particular concerns have been raised by the Italian apple sector because OSF’s proposal is apparently to introduce Arctic Golden and Arctic Granny, non-browning versions of Golden Delicious and Granny Smith, which are mainstays of the Italian apple crop.
In July, the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service opened a 60-day review period for members of the public to offer comment on the two varieties, which are grown using biotechnology.
The apples will undergo a newly enhanced review process for biotechnology plants and plant foods.
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