If you've ever thrown away an apple because it looked unappealingly brown, there's a fix for that. It's called the Arctic Apple.
How can that be? And is it safe?
Answer one: Genetic engineering.
Answer two: Yes. Over a decade of research shows that Arctic apples are no different (except for the browning thing) from traditional apples and just as safe. Through genetic engineering, researchers were able to turn off the gene that produces the "browning" enzyme called polyphoenol oxidase or PPO.
Bonus answer: Nearly half of the produce grown in the United States is thrown away. So an apple that resists browning could cut food waste.
Want to learn more? Check out this Harvard University blog post by Allison Baker on Arctic Apples.
And check out this cool time lapse video featuring a conventional apple and an Arctic apple.
Although Arctic Apples are not yet available in North Dakota (and it may be a few years still) you can take comfort in knowing that when they are available, they will be safe, nutritious and they won't get brown!
To take a deeper dive into the science behind the Arctic Apple, read this: The Hard Science Behind the Non-Browning Arctic Apple