Arctic Apples

Arctic Apples are a group of trademarked apples that contain a nonbrowning trait (when the apples are subjected to mechanical damage, such as slicing or bruising, the apple flesh remains its original color) introduced through biotechnology. They were developed through a process of genetic engineering and precision breeding by Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. (OSF). Specifically, gene silencing reduces the expression of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), thus preventing the fruit from browning. It is the first approved food product to use that technique. This is unlike many other genetically modified foods, which insert genes from other species for the purposes of pesticide tolerance or insect resistance.

Okanagan Specialty Fruits has petitioned for regulatory approval for two apple varieties in Canada from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada and in the US from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 2012, a field test application was approved to conduct a 20-acre study of the apple in the state of Washington. The apples were approved by the USDA in February 2015 and by the FDA in March 2015, becoming the first genetically modified apple approved for US sale.

As of 2016, three varieties have been approved by the USDA (Arctic Golden, Arctic Granny, and Arctic Apple Fuji) and are expected for retail sale in early 2017, with a each apple bearing a "snowflake" logo and QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone to help inform consumers about the safety and non-browning benefits via the company website.