The grower, Gebbers Farms of Brewster, Wash., previously had been cited for conducting a field trial too near conventional apples, failing to keep good records and making no effort to keep animals away from the plot. So last November, the federal Animal Plant Health Inspection Service did what it seldom does – slapped Gebbers with a civil penalty of $19,250 for failing to comply with rules governing field trials of genetically modified crops. The apple experiment, one of just a handful in the United States, drew extra scrutiny because the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering legalizing genetically modified non-browning apples. The prospect of gene-altered apples entering the market is a worry in Washingtons $2.5 billion apple industry amid fears that consumers will reject tinkering with the genes of a fruit that stands as a symbol of healthy eating. Until now, the location of the experimental apple plot in Washington – which Gebbers says was abandoned this year – had not been publicly known. Details of Gebbers field trials and hundreds of inspections of field trials with genetically modified plants were obtained by Hearst under Freedom of Information laws. The inspection reports and other Agriculture Department records present a picture of the vast outdoor experimentation with genetically modified crops, which is expanding swiftly from common field crops like corn and soybeans into the realm of whole foods and plants with industrial uses.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 13:47:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015