SweeTango

SweeTango is the brand name of the cultivated apple 'Minneiska'. It is a cross between the 'Honeycrisp' and the Zestar Apple belonging to the University of Minnesota. The apple is controlled and regulated for marketing, allowing only exclusive territories for growing. It has a sweet-tart taste that some food writers have described as something between brown sugar and spiced apple cider.

Hybrid parentageHoneycrisp and Zestar apple
CultivarMinneiska
OriginUniversity of Minnesota,
United States

University of Minnesota awarded Pepin Heights Orchards exclusive marketing rights to grow and sell the 'Minneiska' apple. They then in turn developed a cooperative of certain selected farm growers and sold rights to these members to produce the apple. It was exclusive at first to the state of Minnesota and later membership was expanded to certain qualifying farmers, mostly to growers of the northern parts of the United States. The concept of exclusive control of a variety of fruit was new then in United States customs and drew criticism that led to lawsuits.

Background
Minneiska tree apples

The brand name of the cultivar (cultivated variety) of the apple 'Minneiska' is "SweeTango".[1][2] It was refined by University of Minnesota in 1999 from a grafted tree of 1988, and released in 2006.[3] It became publicly available in 2007.[4] It is a hybrid of two other apple varieties the university developed – the 'Honeycrisp' and the 'Minnewashta' (brand name Zestar!)[5][6] – produced by the 'Minneiska' tree.[7]

The name is a registered trademark owned by University of Minnesota. In 2000, the new apple variety was known during development by the identifier MN 1914.[1] It was created by University of Minnesota's plant development program at their Horticultural Research Center.[8]

Agriculture

The 'Minneiska' apple has a texture similar to the 'Minnewashta' and 'Honeycrisp' apples (its parents), with a slightly tart fall spicy citric quality.[9][10] The concentrated flavors are "more complex than the Honeycrisp"; author Amy Traverso compared the apple's flavor to "spiced apple cider".[11]

Exclusive rights
Sample taken by a potential customer

The University of Minnesota awarded exclusive marketing rights to grow, have others raise, and sell the 'Minneiska' apple cultivar and any mutations to Minnesota's largest apple orchard, Pepin Heights Orchards of Lake City, Minnesota.[1][12][13] The orchard in turn in 2006 established a 45-member grower's cooperative named Next Big Thing. These commercial growers were originally only in the state of Minnesota.[12][13] An exception was granted to Minnesota orchard growers for plantings in very small amounts.[14][15]

The cooperative later branched out and allowed members from Michigan, Washington, New York and a few other northern states.[16] The apple could not be grown by non-members. Members, who pay royalties for a license on producing the 'Minneiska' trees, can sell the apple only through the cooperative.[12][17][18] The practice, called "managed variety" for high quality standards,[19] was a new concept to the United States when the apple was developed.[20]

The practice implementation has attracted criticism due to its development through a public research institution.[12][13][17] In 2010, a lawsuit was filed challenging the legality of University of Minnesota selling exclusive rights to the new variety.[15] It was decided in a 2012 ruling by Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District court that "Minnesota’s antitrust and monopoly laws do not apply to its land-grant university", according to Fruit Growers News.[21]

Genetics
U.S. Patent US PP18,812 P3

The trademark belongs to University of Minnesota for its apple fruit of the 'Minneiska' cultivar.[22] The patent number was obtained on May 13, 2008, by research scientist breeders David S. Bedford and James J. Luby.[23][24] The varietal denomination 'Minneiska' has a Latin name of Malus domestica and its patent says in part that it was an exclusive new cultivar that was developed using grafting techniques.[25]

In 2008, the variety was patented by the university, the same year their US patent on the 'Honeycrisp' expired.[26][27]

References
  1. Harler, Curt (February 2012). "Lawsuit over apple marketing agreement". Growing Magazine. Moose River Media LLC. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  2. Woodler 2015, pp. 12–13.
  3. Navidi, Leila (September 16, 2018). "First Kiss was long labor of love". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. A15. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  4. Dean, Lee Svitak (September 20, 2015). "Minnesota's apple Family Tree". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. E5 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  5. "Which is the apple of your eye". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. October 14, 2009. p. C2 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  6. Vickroy, Donna (October 1, 2009). "The honeycrisp's amazing appeal". Southtown Star. Tinley Park, Illinois. p. 69 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  7. "Let's do the ... Organic SweeTango!". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. September 20, 2015. p. A19. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  8. "SweeTango(R) apple crop triples in 2011". Reuters (Press release). August 12, 2011. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  9. Taylor, Susan (September 14, 2011). "The age of the Apple". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 6-1. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  10. Navidi, Leila (September 3, 2009). "Apple growers set to release SweeTango". The Herald. Jasper, Indiana. p. 19. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  11. Traverso 2011, p. 58.
  12. Parker, Rosemary (September 13, 2011). "Better than Honeycrisp? SweeTango apples hit Michigan Meijer and Wal-Mart stores this week". MLive. MLive Media Group. Archived from the original on December 14, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
  13. "Next Big Thing is new co-op for marketing MN1914 apple". Fruit Growers News. Great American Media Services. 2020. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  14. Hubbuch, Chris (August 29, 2010). "Forbidden Fruit". The La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  15. "Forbidden Fruit A new apple, the SweeTango, at center of controversy". Leader-Telegram. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. August 30, 2010. p. A5. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  16. Woodler 2015, p. 19.
  17. Seabrook, John (November 21, 2011). "Crunch: Building a better apple". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  18. Seabrook, John (November 18, 2011). "Crunch: 'Managed' Apple Creates A Buzz". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Archived from the original on November 19, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  19. "Minnesota Hardy / Sweetango". University of Minnesota / Minnesota Agricultural Experimental Station, 2020. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  20. Karnowski, Steve (September 8, 2009). "The Next Big Thing / Apple growers sweet on new variety". The Advocate-Messenger. Danville, Kentucky. p. 4. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  21. "Litigants settle SweeTango dispute". Fruit Growers News. Great American Media Services. November 2011. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  22. "Minnesota Hardy, p. 26" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
  23. "Patents by inventor David S. Bedford". Justia, 2020. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  24. "Crunch / Building a better apple by John Seabrook". Conde Nest, 2020. November 14, 2011. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  25. United States Plant Patents 2008, p. 10.
  26. Brown, SK; Maloney, KE (2009). "Making sense of new apple varieties, trademarks and clubs: current status" (PDF). New York Fruit Quarterly. Vol. 17, no. 3. New York. pp. 9–12. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  27. Olson, Dan (October 21, 2007). "Honeycrisp apple losing its patent protection, but not its appeal". MPR News. Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Public Radio. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.

Sources

Further reading
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