防褐變蘋果來襲 刷新你的轉基因食品觀!

After years of development, protest and regulatory red tape, the first genetically modified, non-browning apples will soon go on sale in the US.

歷經多年研發、非議以及監管部門設置的重重障礙，首款防褐變轉基因蘋果很快將在美國開售。

The fruit, sold sliced and marketed under the brand Arctic Apple, could hit a cluster of Midwestern grocery stores.

這款備受爭議的“北極蘋果”會在美國中西部的一些雜貨店以切片形式進行初期的試點銷售。

The limited release is an early test run for the controversial apple, which has been genetically modified to eliminate the browning that occurs when an apple is left out in the open air.

因爲經過了轉基因改良，這種蘋果的果肉暴露在空氣中也不會變成褐色。

Critics and advocates of genetic engineering say that the apple could be a turning point in the nation's polarizing debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

基因工程的批評人士與支持者均表示，美國國內對轉基因作物的爭論已呈兩極化，而這種蘋果可能會成爲這一局面的轉折點。

While genetic modifications have in the past been mainly defended as a way to protect crops, the Arctic Apple would be one of the first GMOs marketed directly to consumers as more convenient.

過去人們主要因爲轉基因是保護農作物的一種手段而爲其辯護，而“北極蘋果”或成首款直接向消費者出售的轉基因作物之一則是由於其更加便捷。

"What companies are desperate for is some really popular GMO product to hit the market," said McKay Jenkins. "Any successful product could lift the cloud over GMOs."

麥凱·詹金斯表示：“企業渴望的是真正受市場歡迎追捧的轉基因產品。任何轉基因商品在市場上的成功都可能會打消人們對轉基因生物的疑慮。”

Industry executives predict the apple could open a whole new trade in genetically engineered produce, potentially opening the market to pink pineapples, antioxidant-enriched tomatoes, and other food currently in development.

業內高管預測，“北極蘋果”可以爲轉基因農產品打開一個全新市場，同時也爲今後把粉色菠蘿、抗氧化西紅柿等尚在研發的轉基因食物推向市場做好了鋪墊。