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USApple Arctic® Backgrounder The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved five varieties of Arctic® apples for commercial production: Arctic® Golden, Arctic® Granny, Arctic® Fuji, Arctic® Gala and, Arctic® Honey. Arctic brand apples are a product of biotechnology. In the U.S., for a biotech trait to be commercialized it must receive approval from the USDA that it is safe to release … Continued
Why is the “Dirty Dozen” list flawed? One-hundred percent of the apples and applesauce sampled through the Pesticide Data Program (PDP) had either no residues or residues far below the EPA tolerances. The residues are so low, in fact, that according to the Safe Fruits and Veggies pesticide calculator, a child could eat 340 servings of apples … Continued
Several years ago, environmental groups petitioned EPA to revoke all tolerances for chlorpyrifos due to alleged impacts on drinking water and human health. The claims were largely based on a series of epidemiological studies that could not be substantiated or replicated, and were contradicted by actual monitoring data from sources such as the Washington State … Continued
What is arsenic? Arsenic is an element that can be found in water, air and soil. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), arsenic occurs in the environment from erosion of arsenic-containing rocks, volcanic eruptions and contamination from various industrial sources. In the early to mid-1900s, arsenical insecticides were used in agriculture. Insecticides containing arsenic were … Continued
How old is an apple by the time someone buys it at the grocery store?The question should not be about the “age” of the apple, or the time since it was picked, but rather it should be about how fresh the apple is. Growers and researchers have focused on the challenge of maintaining the freshness … Continued
What are the stages of an apple after it’s picked?Apples picked in the orchard are carefully (to avoid bruising) placed in harvest bins with a capacity of roughly 20 bushels (each bushel weighs about 42 pounds) that have been placed between the orchard rows to be collected as they are filled. The full bins are … Continued
Summary: In January 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published the results of its 30th annual Pesticide Data Program (PDP). The PDP collects data on pesticide residues in a wide variety of foods, with a strong focus on foods that are consumed by infants and children. The report presents data on a changing market basket … Continued
If you walked out into an orchard, picked an apple from the tree and rubbed that apple on your shirt, you would notice that it shined − you´ve just polished the natural wax that an apple produces to protect its high-water content. Without wax, vegetables and fruits, like apples, would lose their vital crispness and … Continued
Activist groups have expressed concern about the fungicide diphenylamine (DPA), an important and widely used tool by the apple industry for post-harvest storage. DPA was first registered as a pesticide in the U.S. in 1947. The EPA has reviewed DPA’s registration several times (1991, 1996, 1998, and 2018). As part of the most recent review that began … Continued
Listeria monocytogenes Listeria monocytogenes is an environmental pathogenic bacteria that can commonly be found in soil, water and vegetative matter. Because of the inherent association between Listeria and agricultural environments, the potential exists for Listeria to be introduced onto a variety of fresh produce products. Foods linked to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes include fresh produce and … Continued
