And you should too.

You have the right to know what is in your food, where it comes from and if it has been “genetically modified.”

Here is what the dictionary says genetically modified means,

“genetically modified |jəˈnetik(ə)lē ˈmädəˌfīd| (abbr.: GM)
adjective (of an organism or crop) containing genetic material that has been artificially altered so as to produce a desired characteristic: genetically modified viruses to insert new genes into growing plants.”

Inserting genes into the plants that grow my food? Artificially altering my food? Genetically modified viruses?

Does that sound healthy?

The Arctic Apple-two decades in the making? Seriously? It took nature how long to create the original apple?

The article I have attached speaks solely from a dollar point of view. It does not speak to the educated Canadian consumer who wants to know what they are eating before they purchase it, especially GMO foods. What is wrong and unfair is most of us are still not sure what GMO means. Many illnesses, diseases, gastrointestinal, food sensitivities and severe life threatening allergies are directly linked to GMO foods. Why give this kind of food the right to be there when many of us do not want it.

I want my apples to go brown naturally, it is a sign that it is approaching the expiration date that nature intended on giving us, to know when the food is no longer good for human consumption. So why eat apples that never let you know when it is expired and is no longer a valid source of nutrition?

Here is what the founder of these apples has to say, is this complete arrogance or only his right to know, not yours.

“We are not going to label it as a GMO,” said their founder Neal Carter in an interview with Global News.

“We have spent a lot of time and money and effort to prove that this product is as safe as any other apple.”

As for his money and time spent on his “frankenfruit” that is his problem, not yours to consume. This is not food you should be testing or paying for on his behalf to see if it is good for you or dangerous to your health. Why is Heath Canada approving this?

Arctic apple vs. an apple, click on the image to see the video.

My Ontario grown Spartan apple went slightly brown after 30 minutes, it still tasted great!

Lastly, you have to ask yourself. If the food was safe to begin with, why did he spend so much time to try and prove his theory that it is safe? Maybe this is because this kind of food is not, we my need 20-50 years of human consumption to realize the impact. Time to see what it does to us and our food system. Why rush into anything that is so uncertain?

We need to keep Heritage varieties filling our orchards and our fridges, apples that have survived for hundreds of years providing us with whole nutrition.

Are you ready to be his “GMO” tester?

You can avoid foods that are not labelled GMO, by eating organic, local organic, non-GMO and seasonally grown foods that are grown locally. Is it not odd that we have to label Organic foods but here is no law that says we have to label GMO foods.

Fred Steele, the other farmer in the article may be right about the impact on all apple growers, many of us including myself may buy less apples in the future because of the lack of good, honest labeling.

Food for thought.

Stacey Fokas

References-By Neetu Garcha- Reporter for Global News, March 23rd 2015.

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