The recent approval of the non-browning Arctic apple got us thinking: What other genetically modified organisms are the USDA and FDA considering for deregulation?

We reported about the Arctic apple back in 2012 — a simpler time when GMO apples were still safely confined to high-security field trials. But even though it took the USDA three years to sign off on the apple, it all seems so... sudden. Could the natural industry have been doing more to prevent Arctic from coming to fruition?

Even more worrisome is that the apple may set a precedent for GMO deregulations that don’t offer any real need. It wasn’t as if the apple industry, valued at $3.1 billion in 2012, was hurting. With the approval of a purely cosmetic GMO, what other crops may soon be coming to grocery stores?

The following products have petitions pending approval with the USDA (which handles GE crops) and FDA (which handles GE animals).