SUMMERLAND, BC – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada (HC) have approved the Arctic® Fuji, a non-browning Arctic apple by Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. (OSF). This apple is the third of OSF’s non-browning Arctic apple approved by the CFIA and HC.
“Canadian approval of the non-browning Arctic Fuji is great news for our company and even more exciting for families looking to add another favorite apple variety to their healthy diets and lifestyles,” explained Neal Carter, President of OSF in a press release. “There has been very strong interest from retailers as we launched our first product—fresh, preservative free Arctic Golden slices—and we look forward to introducing additional Arctic non-browning varieties into Canada and U.S. markets soon.”
The Arctic apples are biotechnologically engineered to resist browning—they lack the enzyme that typically causes the unfortunate reaction. This adaptation is both beneficial to consumers and retailers, reducing food waste at the industry level and increasing consumer-appeal.
“It’s an exciting time at OSF. For a very long time, apple lovers have been looking forward to enjoying non-browning Arctic apples as a convenient and healthy snack option. With this past fall’s U.S. launch, we were finally able to deliver just that,” Carter continued. “This latest announcement allows us to continue looking ahead toward providing new non-browning varieties and additional value-added fruits and vegetables. Arctic apples are just the beginning for OSF.”
The USDA and Plant Health Inspection Services approved the apple back in September of 2017, and Arctic apples will be available this fall in select U.S. cities, with availability set to increase in future years. To follow all apple innovations, keep reading AndKnowUKnow.
