Consumers need transparency on gene-edited fruits and vegetables, says network

July 10, 2025, Halifax: A new report today from the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) confirms the stalled introduction of Bayer’s genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) salad greens which would have been the first GM gene-edited food on the market in Canada. However, the report finds that biotechnology companies are still pursuing GM gene-edited greens and other GM gene-edited fruits and vegetables that can be released without government safety assessments or labelling for consumers.

“There is a gaping hole in our grocery stores where unlabelled, unregulated gene-edited fruits and vegetables could soon be sold to customers without them knowing,” said Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator of CBAN, which is a network of 15 consumer, farmer and environmental organizations.

Gene editing is a range of new genetic engineering techniques, commonly also referred to as genetic modification or GM, that can speed up the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The most widely used of these techniques is CRISPR.

“Most food companies and retailers are unprepared for the consumer controversy if gene-edited fruits and vegetables hit the produce section. This’ll be chaos for food businesses and consumers. The pressing solution is for grocery stores to establish their produce sections as non-GMO,” said Sharratt.

Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018 and is now the biggest seed company in the world, is promoting mustard greens which have been genetically engineered to taste less mustardy, using the gene-editing technique of CRISPR. In 2024, the company said it was preparing to launch the gene-edited greens for use in packaged salad mixes in 2024/2025 but now says it has no target date for release in Canada. However, Bayer continues to promote its gene-edited salad greens on social media.

“Gene editing techniques are powerful genetic engineering tools that could mean a flood of genetically engineered fruits and vegetables in our stores that won’t be labelled for consumers, and businesses won’t be ready to respond to customer concerns and questions,” said Fionna Tough, Outreach Officer at CBAN.

CBAN’s research verified that gene-edited greens are not yet in grocery stores in Canada. The report also found a generally unfriendly market for genetically engineered salad. CBAN found that most major packaged greens brands in Canada have non-GMO commitments. This is in addition to many organic salad options which are non-GMO by definition. However, the market is still open to the entry of unlabelled GM gene-edited salad greens.

“Gene-edited produce is a particular concern because most of these genetically engineered foods will not go through any government safety assessments,” said Sharratt.

In 2022 and 2023, the federal government removed pre-market regulation for most gene-edited seeds and the foods from those GM 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.

“The only real way to ensure transparency for consumers is mandatory labelling for all genetically engineered foods,” said Sharratt.

In the absence of mandatory labelling, CBAN is asking retailers to commit to providing non-GMO produce sections. Retailers can already screen to exclude GM whole food products. There are four GM fruits or vegetables currently on the Canadian market, with a marginal presence, that were developed before the advent of the new gene editing techniques: GM sweet corn, GM papaya, GM pink pineapple, and a few varieties of GM summer squash.

Today’s report is available at www.cban.ca/NoGMOsaladreport.

For more information: Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 902 209 4906, coordinator@cban.ca; Fionna Tough, Outreach Officer, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 249 532 0340, outreach@cban.ca

The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) brings together 15 groups to research, monitor and raise awareness about issues relating to genetic engineering in food and farming. CBAN members include farmer associations, environmental and social justice organizations, and regional coalitions of grassroots groups. CBAN is a project of MakeWay Charitable Society. www.cban.ca