美國批準轉(zhuǎn)基因蘋果種植

Gene-Altered Apples Get U.S. Approval

美國批準轉(zhuǎn)基因蘋果種植

The government on Friday approved the commercial planting of genetically engineered apples that are resistant to turning brown when sliced or bruised.

周五，美國政府批準商業(yè)種植轉(zhuǎn)基因蘋果，這種蘋果在切片或碰傷后不會變色。

The developer, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, says it believes the nonbrowning feature will be popular with both consumers and food service companies because it will make sliced apples more appealing. The feature could also reduce the number of apples discarded because of bruising.

研制者奧卡諾根特種蔬菜公司(Okanagan Specialty Fruits)說，它認為不會變色的特點將受到消費者和餐飲公司歡迎，因為它會讓切片蘋果更誘人。這一特點也能減少因碰傷而丟棄的蘋果數(shù)量。

But many executives in the apple industry say they worry that the biotech apples, while safe to eat, will face opposition from some consumers, possibly tainting the wholesome image of the fruit that reputedly “keeps the doctor away.” They are also concerned that it could hurt exports of apples to countries that do not like genetically modified foods.

但是蘋果行業(yè)的很多主管們說，他們擔心，這種轉(zhuǎn)基因蘋果雖然可以安全食用，但是會受到一些消費者的抵制，可能會玷污這種水果有益健康、“令你遠離疾病”的美名。他們還擔心，它會損害向不喜歡轉(zhuǎn)基因食物的國家的蘋果出口。

“In the marketplace we participate in, there doesn’t seem to be room for genetically modified apples now,” said John Rice, co-owner of Rice Fruit Company in Gardners, Pa., which bills itself as the largest apple packer in the East.

“我們目前參與的市場中似乎沒有轉(zhuǎn)基因蘋果的空間，”賓夕法尼亞州加德納的大米水果公司(Rice Fruit Company)的聯(lián)合所有者約翰·賴斯(John Rice)說。該公司自稱是美國東部最大的蘋果加工企業(yè)。

The Department of Agriculture, which approved the apples for commercial planting, said on Friday that it had considered these issues. However, it said that under the law, approval is based on whether a genetically modified crop poses a threat to other plants. The department determined that the apples posed no such risk.

周五，批準轉(zhuǎn)基因蘋果商業(yè)種植的美國農(nóng)業(yè)部表示，它已考慮過這些問題。不過，它說，依照法律，是否批準取決于這種轉(zhuǎn)基因作物是否會給其他植物造成威脅。農(nóng)業(yè)部確定，這種蘋果不會帶來這樣的風(fēng)險。

The so-called Arctic apples — which will be available in the Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties — are genetically engineered in a way to suppress the production of an enzyme that causes browning when cells in the apple are injured, from slicing, for example.

這種所謂的北極蘋果將有澳洲青蘋果(Granny Smith)和金冠蘋果(Golden Delicious)兩個種類。它的基因改造方法是抑制一種酶的產(chǎn)生。蘋果細胞受傷(比如被切開)后，這種酶會導(dǎo)致蘋果變色。

But over time the apples will still rot and turn brown. In November, the Agriculture Department approved a genetically engineered potato developed by the J.R. Simplot Company that uses a similar technique to prevent browning.

但是過一段時間，這種蘋果還是會腐爛、變黃。去年11月，美國農(nóng)業(yè)部批準了辛普洛特公司(J.R. Simplot Company)開發(fā)的一種轉(zhuǎn)基因土豆，它使用的也是一種類似的防止變黑的技術(shù)。

The apple will join relatively few other examples of genetically modified fresh produce, including papaya and some sweet corn. Most of the genetically modified food Americans eat is processed, containing ingredients made from engineered corn or soybeans.

與轉(zhuǎn)基因木瓜和甜玉米一樣，這種蘋果將成為少數(shù)幾種轉(zhuǎn)基因生鮮農(nóng)產(chǎn)品之一。美國人食用的大部分轉(zhuǎn)基因食品是加工食品，其中含有用轉(zhuǎn)基因玉米或大豆做成的原料。

The engineered trait is also one of the few meant to appeal to consumers; most of the traits so far, like insect resistance and herbicide resistance, have been aimed at helping farmers.

這種轉(zhuǎn)基因特性也是少數(shù)幾種以吸引顧客為目的。迄今為止的大多數(shù)轉(zhuǎn)基因特性，比如防蛀和抗除草劑，都是為了幫助農(nóng)民。

The approval is also unusual in that Okanagan, which is based in Summerland, British Columbia, is a small company. Most genetically modified crops are developed by giant seed and chemical companies like Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer.

這次獲批的另一個不同尋常之處在于奧卡諾根特種蔬菜公司是個小公司，位于不列顛哥倫比亞的薩默蘭。大多數(shù)轉(zhuǎn)基因作物是由大型種子和化學(xué)公司開發(fā)的，比如孟山都(Monsanto)和杜邦先鋒(DuPont Pioneer)。

Neal Carter, the president of Okanagan, said the apple had “a lot of silent supporters” and would be popular with the food service business. “I can’t believe how many requests we’ve had just this morning to our website from people who want to buy trees,” he said. The roughly 45 investors in the privately held company include many people in the apple business, he said.

奧卡諾根特種蔬菜公司的總裁尼爾·卡特(Neal Carter)說，這種蘋果有“很多默默的支持者”，它將受到餐飲服務(wù)企業(yè)的歡迎。“我不敢相信僅今天上午我們網(wǎng)站就收到很多想要購買這種蘋果樹的請求，”他說。他說，這家私人控股公司的約45名投資者中有很多來自蘋果行業(yè)。

It will take a few years for Arctic apples to be widely available because trees have to first be planted and then become mature enough to bear fruit.

要過幾年時間，北極蘋果才會大量上市，因為蘋果樹要先種好，然后成熟掛果。

Mr. Carter said that four growers would plant a total of 20,000 trees this spring, covering a mere 20 acres or so. From 5,000 to 10,000 pounds of apples are expected to be ready by the fall of 2016, enough to provide samples to food service companies and other potential buyers. The product could reach stores, in very small quantities, in 2017, he said.

卡特說，今年春天，將有四名種植者在區(qū)區(qū)20英畝左右的土地上種植兩萬棵蘋果樹。預(yù)計到2016年秋季，將結(jié)出五千至一萬磅蘋果，足夠給餐飲公司和其他潛在購買者提供樣品。他說，2017年，商店里可能會少量供應(yīng)這種蘋果。

Documents released by the Agriculture Department on Friday suggest the decision to approve was essentially made last May. Mr. Carter said he thought political factors had kept the approval from being announced. He said the company, which had initially requested approval in 2010, finally became so frustrated that it wrote a pointed letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack last month.

美國農(nóng)業(yè)部周五公布的文件表明，批準決定實際上是去年5月做出的。卡特說，他認為是政治原因?qū)е略撆鷾蔬t遲未能公布。他說，這家公司最初是在2010年提出申請的，最后變得非常沮喪，所以上個月給農(nóng)業(yè)部長湯姆·維爾薩克(Tom Vilsack)寫了一封措辭尖銳的信。

A spokesman for the Agriculture Department said it took time to analyze the issues and all the comments received. There were two public comment periods that together drew more than 175,000 comments, the overwhelming majority opposed to approval.

農(nóng)業(yè)部的一位發(fā)言人說，分析這些問題和收到的所有評論需要時間?？偣灿袃蓚€公眾評論期，共收到17.5萬多條評論，絕大多數(shù)反對批準。

Consumer and environmental groups, who say that genetically modified crops in general are not thoroughly tested for safety, were highly critical of the decision on Friday.

周五，多個消費者和環(huán)境保護組織強烈批評這項決定，他們認為轉(zhuǎn)基因作物的安全性總體來說沒有得到徹底檢視。

“This G.M.O. apple is simply unnecessary,” Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said in a statement, using the initials for “genetically modified organism.” “Apple browning is a small cosmetic issue that consumers and the industry have dealt with successfully for generations.”

“這種轉(zhuǎn)基因蘋果毫無必要，”食品與水觀察組織(Food & Water Watch)的執(zhí)行理事韋諾娜·豪特(Wenonah Hauter)在一項聲明中說，“蘋果變色是個很小的外觀問題，消費者和蘋果行業(yè)很久以前已成功解決了這個問題。”

(Putting lemon juice or another source of vitamin C on apple slices can retard browning, though Okanagan argues that affects the taste.)

(在蘋果切片上撒上檸檬汁或別的含維生素C的東西能延緩蘋果變色，不過奧卡諾根公司認為，那會影響口味。)

The environmental groups have been pressing food companies to reject the Arctic apples. McDonald’s and Gerber have sent letters saying they had no plans to use the apples. The groups also renewed their call for genetically modified foods to be labeled as such.

很多環(huán)保組織敦促食品公司拒絕北極蘋果。麥當勞和格伯食品公司(Gerber)已發(fā)表公開信，稱他們沒有計劃使用這種蘋果。這些組織還再次呼吁轉(zhuǎn)基因食品做出明確標識。

Mr. Carter said apples would be labeled as Arctic, with links to the company’s website, so consumers could figure out that the fruit was engineered. He said it would discuss with the Food and Drug Administration whether the apples would also be labeled as nonbrowning. But he said that labeling the fruit as genetically modified would only be “demonizing” it.

卡特說，這種蘋果將被標明是北極蘋果，并標明該公司的網(wǎng)址，這樣消費者就能知道這種水果是經(jīng)過基因改造的。他說，該公司將與美國食品和藥物管理局討論是否也要標明不變色。但是他說，標明這種水果是轉(zhuǎn)基因只會把它“妖魔化”。

The nonbrowning effect is not created by putting genes from another species into the apple’s DNA, which is the case with most genetically altered crops. Instead, the apple’s own genes are manipulated in a way that turns off the browning mechanism.

與大部分轉(zhuǎn)基因作物不同，這種蘋果不變色的效果不是通過把其他物種的基因放入這種蘋果的DNA中來實現(xiàn)的。相反，它是通過控制這種蘋果自己的基因來抑制變色過程。

Okanagan is still engaged in a voluntary consultation with the F.D.A. over the safety of the apple. Consumer groups say shutting off the browning mechanism could have unintended effects. But the Agriculture Department said the Arctic apples seemed to be nutritionally equivalent to other apples.

奧卡諾根公司仍在主動與美國食品和藥物管理局商討這種蘋果的安全性。消費者保護組織稱，抑制變色機制可能產(chǎn)生始料未及的結(jié)果。但是農(nóng)業(yè)部稱，北極蘋果的營養(yǎng)似乎與其他蘋果是一樣的。

While many in the apple industry had opposed the approval, some now say they will work to ensure that consumers know most apples are not modified and even the ones that are modified are safe.

雖然蘋果行業(yè)的很多人曾反對這項批準，但是現(xiàn)在有些人說他們?nèi)詫⑴ψ屜M者知道大多數(shù)蘋果不是轉(zhuǎn)基因的，甚至連那些轉(zhuǎn)基因蘋果也是安全的。