It is with great excitement that Okanagan Specialty Fruits announces that Arctic® apples are officially approved in Canada!
This follows U.S. approval of our first two nonbrowning varieties, Arctic® Golden and Arctic® Granny, earlier this year on Feb. 13th by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So, nearly two decades after we founded OSF, Arctic® apples can now be grown throughout both Canada and the U.S.!
Arctic® apples’ approval was made official earlier today when the two bodies reviewing our apples, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada notified OSF that their reviews are complete (read more about the role of these bodies here, and the rigorous review process itselfhere).
In a letter to OSF, the CFIA concludes that Arctic® apples "are as safe and nutritious as traditional apple varieties..." And, Health Canada states that their assessment has led them to conclude that an Arctic® apple "is safe for consumption, still has all its nutritional value and therefore does not differ from other apples available on the market."
Over the next couple years, we will be working hard with our grower partners to get as many Arctic® trees in the ground as we can. With the support of our friends in the apple industry, and eager consumers alike, we hope to have small, test-market quantities of fruit available starting in late 2016, with greater availability each year thereafter.
We know it’s been a long wait, but with this final step out of the way, we can’t wait for you to enjoy Arctic® apples for yourself very soon! In the meantime, we encourage you to check out our press release announcing the news, revisit the benefits nonbrowning apples can offer, and hear from the lucky consumers who have already tried Arctic® apples to see what you can look forward to!
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