Pink Lady America is adding naturally occurring varieties to the "Pink Lady" trademark, which will result in improvements to some fruit characteristics.

The grower-supported organization in Yakima, WA, said the non-GMO varieties of Barnsby, Maslin, Rosy Glow, Ruby Pink and Lady-In-Red (if under license) are now included under the "Pink Lady" trademark. This means, to eliminate consumer confusion, these varieties will need to be sold under "Pink Lady" store signage.

“This is great news for the consumer,” John Reeves, Pink Lady America general manager, said in a press release. “It first points to the assurance of natural improvements in this apple to be seen in future seasons." He also noted that the use of the 'Pink Lady' trademark in store signage on these varieties will make consumer confusion a thing of the past.

“This is also a very positive move for produce merchandisers who may be wrestling with the identification to be put on a display holding 'Pink Lady' brand apples,” Reeves said in the release. “There is no decision to be made, it needs to be Pink Lady.”

Reeves said the inclusion of other varieties under the name of an apple is nothing really new as it’s been a standard practice in the industry for other apples for many years.

“The major difference here is the involvement of a trademark name along with a brand promise with specific quality requirements in that promise that are focused on those varieties,” Reeves said in the release. “So, this becomes yet another reason for those in the apple industry and at retail to be supportive of trademarked fruit in the future. It’s all about product improvement and related quality assurances.”

According to Reeves, growers, produce merchandisers and consumers will be seeing such advances as an expanded market availability with "Pink Lady" brand apples arriving in stores much earlier in the season.

“As the last apple to be harvested, 'Pink Lady' brand apples have traditionally also been very late to reach the market with ‘new crop’ supplies,” Reeves said. “Now we’ll be seeing newly harvested 'Pink Lady' brand apples on the market as much as two months earlier.”

Also adding to this earlier arrival of this consumer favorite will be trademarked apples being ready to eat when harvested. This compares to the original apple sometimes needing to be stored for a period of time while sugars and acids come to balance.

“While an expanded season is a terrific consumer benefit, it’s also important to remember this continues to be an apple meeting the original brand promise,” Reeves said. “This means a non-GMO apple providing the sweet/tart flavor profile, crunchy texture and the slow to turn brown with cut characteristics the consumer has become so used to enjoying.”

It’s also important to note that these apples being marketed under the "Pink Lady" brand, that support the "Pink Lady" brand promise, need to be sold under "Pink Lady" store signage. These branded apples are packed to specific quality standards.