A decade ago, a group of scientists from New Zealand went on trip around the world searching for as many types of apples as they could find. Near Kazakhstan, one of the researchers from New Zealand's Horticulture and Food Research Institute found an unusual apple. It flesh was as red as its skin. But it was more than the fruit's appearance that interested the scientists. The apple was loaded with anthocyanin, a pigment that gave it that red color throughout and also made it incredibly rich in antioxidants.

The problem was the taste. It turned out it was too bitter to be successful on the market. But now HortResearch, as the institute is known, is looking to breed the crimson-colored apple with other varieties. The goal is to create a good-tasting apple with great nutritional benefits.

"We know fruit are good for you," said Gavin Ross, the company's vice president for business development. "We want to know more about that and how can we take that to another level and produce products that are even better for you."

The for-profit Mount Albert, New Zealand company was established by the New Zealand government in 1992 to help strengthen agricultural exports, which now amount to about $1.6 billion a year. HortReserach is already responsible for a number of products available in the United States. Among them is the Jazz apple, which in addition to an appealing texture delivers a balance of acid and sugar. The Jazz apple is now grown in New Zealand, France and the US.

"You want new varieties that attract a premium in the marketplace. Novelty is the name of the game," said Ross. "And because we are a long way away from our markets, we need to have products that the consumer really wants and is prepared to pay the added cost of transport for."

HortResearch relies on conventional breeding techniques to develop fruits. This avoids the controversy and market barriers that come with trying to market genetically modified fruits.

But the company very much relies on the tools of biotechnology. It performs extensive genetic analysis to identify genes associated with the characteristics it hopes to breed. In doing so, it can take cuttings from crossbred apple trees at their earliest stages and determine if new trees will have those characteristics. This saves it from having to wait for a tree to mature and produce fruit before getting these vital statistics.

"Breeding apples is a long-term business," said Ross. "It takes a long time to go from seed to plant to fruit. "That process could be years, so you're always looking for technologies to speed it up. You can use a lot of technologies within a conventional breeding program."

HortResearch is also responsible for developing the golden kiwi, a kiwi with golden flesh that is sweeter than green kiwis. The fruit is also higher in vitamin C and rich in other essential nutrients. The company is also behind the Ripesense, the label that senses aromatic agents released by fruit and changes from yellow to orange to red to indicate how ripe it is. The label is seen as particularly useful for fruits such as pears, which may not change in appearance as they ripen.

It will be several years before HortResearch commercializes its red flesh apple. Meantime, the company is also using its knowledge of genomics to pursue other applications of its genomic knowledge, such as engineering bacteria to produce desired fragrances and flavorings for commercial applications. Though this technology is in development, Ross expects it will eventually provide significant savings over conventional methods.

Efforts like this reflect a trend in horticulture where the breeders are looking beyond the needs of the growers and shipper and thinking more about the desires of consumers.

"There's an increasing focus on the consumer," said Ross. "That's not to say we're taking our eyes off the important things for the orchard."