If Genetically Modified Apples don’t brown, can you tell if they’re rotten? by Helen Thompson
Greg Vinson computer drawing feb. 4, 2013
Statement Background
Okanagan Specialty Fruits in Summerland B.C. is producing genetically modified apples that when cut, do not turn brown. OSF has been trying to sell their unmarked gmo apples in B.C. as well as here America, and more specifically Washington. The ongoing debates include: whether or not the genetically modified apples are or should be marked, if they can still be advertised as organic, and if they have any negative effects on humans. I read several editorials pertaining to the general issues with genetically modified organisms and I found it to be very informative and slightly shocking. I’m still unsure as to which “side” I’m on just yet but from what I’ve read, some biologists still have concerns as to what kind of damage they could do to humans. This is for Seattle Times Newspaper
Target Audience
Middle aged men and women (more so women) from ages 25-50 with young children (around elementary) and a steady middle class income. Married or single.
Objectives
After experiencing this communication, I would just like the families to become aware of the many gmos that they are consuming without even knowing. Everyone has the right to know what they and their families are consuming and some people aren’t comfortable with consuming food that has been genetically modified.
Obstacles
There are a lot of debates as to whether or not anything is morally wrong with modifying these foods, as well as being sold in stores unmarked due to the possible health hazards. There are several grocery stores and food corporations who have and will spend millions of dollars to prove they are safe and don’t have to be marked in grocery stores.
Key Benefit
The audience will be informed about the possible dangers of ingesting genetically modified fruits, as well as other gmos, and how they can, and are, being sold in stores everywhere unmarked.
Support Statements/Reasons Why
People have a right to know what not only them, but their families are ingesting, and especially when it could have dangerous long term effects.
Tone
Bold, strong, and assertive
Media
Illustration for newspaper or magazine
Creative Considerations
Definitely should be made sure that all nationalities are represented, seeing as though this is not only a local, or even only United States issue.
Editorial
Inspiration
Sketches
Process
Process
Final
If Genetically Modified Apples Don’t Brown, Can You Tell If They’re Rotten? In the fairy-tale world, a shiny red apple can lead to a poisonous end. But some see two genetically engineered green apple varieties, poised to become the first to gain U.S. Department of Agriculture approval, as similar harbingers of doom. Okaganan Specialty Fruits Inc., the company that has developed Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties that don’t go brown when you slice them, says the fears are overblown and the apples are safe to eat. Now, we’ve reported extensively on the heated debate over labeling genetically engineered food, and there’s no denying that genetically modified (GM) foods are a polarizing issue. But would an apple that doesn’t turn brown prevent us from telling whether it’s rotten? The short answer is no. For the long answer, read on.
by Helen Thompson The non-browning trait aims to please consumers who don’t like brown apples or the off taste from the preservatives frequently used to maintain color and fresh appearance in packages of pre-sliced apples, says Neal Carter, Okanagan’s president. “Ultimately, we just want people to eat more apples,” he says. Carter also argues the innovation would help apple slice producers, who can lose up to half of their product from browning during production. Nevertheless, as the public comment period on a petition to approve these apples closed last month, consumers worry are they safe to eat? First, let’s look at the physical properties of apples. No matter how you slice it, every apple turns brown eventually. “When their flesh is cut, the oxygen in the air interacts with chemicals in the flesh of the apple,” says Susan Brown, a plant scientist at Cornell University. An enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO, makes melanin, an iron-containing compound that gives apple cells a brown tinge. The same type of “oxidative” browning happens in the browning of tea, coffee or mushrooms, explains Brown. Within five minutes of slicing, browning can alter the taste and might not be as aesthetically pleasing, but it doesn’t mean the apple is old or rotten.
To prevent oxidative browning, the GM apples developed by Okanagan stop PPO production with a man-made gene contain ing pieces of four natural PPO genes. An insertion with gene fragments is an automatic red flag for the apple cell — usually the first step of viral attack so it chops up every sequence of DNA that looks like the suspicious fragment, and the apple flesh stays light. “The beauty of this [process] is it’s a natural plant defense mechanism, says Carter. Even when sliced, these apples stay clear of browning for about two weeks that’s roughly the same extended life span as apple slices from McDonald’s and Burger King, which use lemon juice and calcium ascorbate to prevent browning.