Acceptance of Natural and Genetically Modified Hypoallergenic Apples by Consumers with an Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS)

Plant Research International, together with UMC-Utrecht, screened a wide collection of existing apple varieties for allergenicity, and identified the Santana as a hypoallergenic variety. This variety was introduced on the market in 2006 as “suitable for consumption by consumers with a mild apple allergy”. Its packaging included a background information leaflet, a protocol regarding how to eat it (in relation to “testing” for allergic reactions) and a link to a consumer questionnaire. The results of this questionnaire showed that a high percentage of consumers had no, or very slight, complaints after eating this hypoallergenic cultivar Santana. The questionnaire also included some questions on the appreciation of hypoallergenic apple varieties if they were to be produced by genetic modification. This chapter elaborates on the acceptance by Dutch consumers of hypoallergenic apples, developed either by breeding or by genetic modification.