防褐变苹果来袭 刷新你的转基因食品观!

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

历经多年研发、非议以及监管部门设置的重重障碍，首款防褐变转基因苹果很快将在美国开售。

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

这款备受争议的“北极苹果”会在美国中西部的一些杂货店以切片形式进行初期的试点销售。

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.

因为经过了转基因改良，这种苹果的果肉暴露在空气中也不会变成褐色。

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).

基因工程的批评人士与支持者均表示，美国国内对转基因作物的争论已呈两极化，而这种苹果可能会成为这一局面的转折点。

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.

过去人们主要因为转基因是保护农作物的一种手段而为其辩护，而“北极苹果”或成首款直接向消费者出售的转基因作物之一则是由于其更加便捷。

"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."

麦凯·詹金斯表示：“企业渴望的是真正受市场欢迎追捧的转基因产品。任何转基因商品在市场上的成功都可能会打消人们对转基因生物的疑虑。”

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.

业内高管预测，“北极苹果”可以为转基因农产品打开一个全新市场，同时也为今后把粉色菠萝、抗氧化西红柿等尚在研发的转基因食物推向市场做好了铺垫。