A new genetically modified apple that won't go browning will be in stores starting from February.

The company that developed the apples, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, is based in Canada. It produces three varieties of non-browning apples: Arctic Granny, Arctic Golden and Arctic Fuji. All three varieties of the apple have been approved for sale in Canada and the United States. Following their first commercial harvest in the fall of 2016, the Arctic Apple brand will be selling their Golden variety in selected stores.

The gene that causes browning in the apple has been silenced in Arctic Apples, meaning they don't go brown from being sliced open but from actual rotting. The enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) starts a chemical reaction called oxidative browning, causing the apple to turn brown, and PPO is absent in Arctic Apple's because of the silenced gene. However, according to information on the Arctic Apples websites, PPO plays a role in defending against pests and pathogens.