McLEAN, Va. – The 2001 apple harvest is now officially underway, the U.S. apple industry’s trade group announced today. The first apple harvest of the millennium should produce 251.1 million bushels this season from U.S. orchards, or roughly 90 apples per U.S. resident, by the time harvest is completed in November, reports the U.S. Apple Association (USApple).

Although this year’s crop is expected to be the smallest on record since 1988, consumers will find even more varieties at market than in recent history, and health news about apples should give consumers new reasons to eat more of their favorite fruit, industry analysts report.

“Every major apple-growing region is now harvesting, and the variety and quality of this year’s crop are both excellent,” said USApple spokesperson Julia Daly. “Add all the recent health news about apples, and consumer-friendly new products, and it is definitely an exciting time to be an apple lover.”

More Varieties, More Choice
In response to consumer demand for more choices, U.S. apple growers continue to expand their production of apple varieties. Popular new varieties, such as Braeburn, Cameo, Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady, are joining old favorites like McIntosh and Granny Smith. For the first time in recent history, supplies of the top two varieties in the United States, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, will make up less than 50 percent of total national production, falling to 43 percent in 2001.

Apples are grown commercially in 36 of the 50 United States. This year’s top apple-producing states will be Washington, New York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, which will produce over 83 percent of the nation’s 2001-crop apple supply.

“This year’s crop will demonstrate there truly is an apple for every person’s taste,” said Daly. “You can literally try a new apple variety every day of the week.”

Several innovative new apple foods also will be available this year, including pre-cut, fresh apple slices, ready to crunch right out of the bag, and family-friendly new packaging of processed apple foods such as applesauce.

The good news about this year’s smaller crop comes at a crucial time for beleaguered U.S. apple growers. The U.S. apple industry has suffered $1.5 billion in estimated losses in the past five years, including $500 million during the 2000 crop year. Unfairly priced imports of apple juice concentrate, adverse weather, flat domestic consumption, food retailer consolidation, and rising regulatory compliance costs, among other factors, have taken their toll on growers’ bottom lines.

“It has been estimated that as many as 30 percent of the nation’s apple growers could harvest their last crop this year,” said Daly. “With the good news of this year’s crop comes hope and, just maybe, the light at the end of a very dark tunnel for this industry.”

Apple Health Research News Mounts
In addition to being one of the most diverse, versatile fruits available, research news this year has linked apples and processed apple foods with an exciting range of health benefits.

In February, University of California-Davis researchers reported in the Journal of Medicinal Food that adults who added apples or apple juice to their daily diet reduced an important marker for heart disease after only six weeks. The first U.S. human study of its kind, UC-Davis researchers found that apples and apple juice may slow the cholesterol oxidation process involved in the buildup of plaque that leads to heart disease.

“Eating apples and drinking apple juice may keep the doctor further away that we originally thought,” says Dianne Hyson, Ph.D., R.D., a researcher at the UC-Davis Medical Center. “This study shows that naturally occurring compounds in apples have the potential to prevent heart disease.”

In May, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reported in the journal Carcinogenesis that quercetin, a plant-based nutrient found most abundantly in apples, prevented or slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells in an in vitro (laboratory) study. Based on this preliminary work, researchers concluded that quercetin may provide a new method for preventing or treating prostate cancer.

Increased apple consumption also has been linked to improved lung health in several studies, including two papers presented at the American Thoracic Society’s annual meeting in May. European researchers reported in two separate studies that increased apple consumption was associated with improved lung function, and reduced risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“We’re just now starting to put some scientific proof behind the adage about ‘an apple a day’,” said Daly. “Based on what we’ve learned so far, maybe we should revise that saying to two apples a day for our better health.”

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 36 state apple associations representing the 9,000 apple growers throughout the country and more than 450 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple’s mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably market apples and apple products.

Note to Editors: The text of this release can be downloaded from the News Room section of USApple’s Web site at www.usapple.org. Also visit the USApple Web site for more information on the 2001 apple harvest, as well as apples and apple products.