Alert: Loblaws is selling GM tomatoes

April 21, 2026: Loblaw Companies Limited is the first company in Canada to sell genetically modified tomatoes. The GM purple tomatoes have been sighted in stores in Nova Scotia (Superstore) and Ontario (Loblaws).

The GM tomatoes are sold in clear plastic boxes branded as the “Empress” tomato. They are not clearly labelled as genetically engineered but carry the US “bioengineered” symbol with a note that the tomatoes are “Patented Technology”. The tomatoes are produced and distributed by the large greenhouse producer Red Sun Farms, headquartered in Kingsville, Ontario,

Take Action

Tell Loblaws to remove the GM tomatoes. Tell Loblaws you want a produce section that is only non-GMO so that you know what you are buying.

• In Ontario and the rest of Canada – Click here to call or email Loblaws.
• In Nova Scotia – Click here to call or email Loblaws.
• Click here for the email addresses for the other grocery chains.

Let CBAN know. Please tell us about your action and send us any response from your grocery store. Contact Fionna at outreach@cban.ca or 249-532-0340  

Protect Our Produce

Companies are testing consumer and farmer acceptance to launch new genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) fruits and vegetables, some developed with the new genetic engineering techniques of gene editing. 

A genetically modified purple tomato is now being sold in Canada. There are three other genetically modified fruits and vegetables on the market in Canada, with a very marginal presence in grocery stores: GM sweet corn, GM papaya, and GM pink pineapple. Until now, genetic engineering in our diets has been dominated by processed food ingredients from GM corn, GM canola, GM soy and GM sugar beet. If customers and farmers do not take action now, there are a number of genetically modified fruits and vegetables that could soon be released into our food system and seed supply.

You can help Protect Our Produce and take action to advocate for a Non-GMO Produce Section in your grocery store.

More Information

April 21, 2026: Loblaw Companies Limited is the first company in Canada to sell genetically modified tomatoes. The GM purple tomatoes have been sighted in stores in Nova Scotia (Superstore) and Ontario (Loblaws). These are transgenic tomatoes that were genetically engineered with two genes from snapdragon flowers, to increase the plant’s anthocyanin production which also makes the tomato purple. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid that has antioxidant properties. There are already non-GM tomatoes on the market that have these same properi

Biotechnology companies want to release a new flood of genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) fruits and vegetables made with the new genetic engineering techniques of genome editing, also called gene editing. These techniques are new ways to genetically engineer plants and animals to express new traits. Tools such as CRISPR aim to delete DNA segments or otherwise change a DNA sequence. Unlike traditional plant and animal breeding, genetic engineering makes changes directly to the genetic make-up of organisms in the laboratory. Gene editing can also speed up the development of new genetically modified organisms (GMOs).In Canada, these new GMOs can be released without government safety assessments or labelling for consumers. In 2022 and 2023, the federal government removed pre-market regulation for most gene-edited seeds and the foods from those plants, such that these new GMOs can enter the market without a government approval process and without any mandatory notification to the government or public.

If customers and farmers do not take action now, there are a number of genetically modified fruits and vegetables that could soon be released into our food system and seed supply. There are three GM products that are at immediate risk of being introduced, and small packets of GM purple tomato seeds are already available for purchase online by growers in Canada. 

• GM Purple Tomato ™ from the US company Norfolk Healthy Produce (seeds are for sale online).
• GM gene-edited strawberries from the multinational company Simplot.*
• GM gene-edited mustard greens from the multinational company Bayer (formerly Monsanto).*

* No government product approval is required. These gene-edited seeds and foods will not be assessed for safety Canada or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. For details see cban.ca/NoExemptions

• CBAN FAQ – Protect Our Produce Frequently Asked Questions
• CBAN Report – Gene-Edited Fruits and Vegetables: The Threat of New GMOs in Canada, Updated December 2025

Updates

December 2025: Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have approved a genetically modified (GM or genetically engineered) Purple Tomato™ for increased anthocyanins in the fruit. Unlike many future gene-edited GMOs that are exempt from pre-market regulation, this GM tomato was assessed for food safety by Health Canada.

• GM Product Alert: Genetically Engineered “Purple Tomato” Seeds & Fruit Approved in Canada, Updated January 5, 2026

December 2, 2025: E-petition 6768 for mandatory labelling of GM foods was presented in the House of Commons by Yves Perron, Member of Parliament for Berthier—Maskinongé and the Bloc Quebecois agriculture critic. The petition had 4152 signatures and was initiated by CBAN in partnership with Kids Right to Know.

CBAN Report – December 2025: Gene-Edited Fruits and Vegetables: The Threat of New GMOs in Canada

Update – October 2025: CBAN has confirmed that GM squash, which was grown in the United States and legal to import for food since 1998, has been discontinued for 2026.