Grocer quietly launches sales of controversial GE food in Canada for first time, food groups concerned

April 28, 2026. Major Canadian grocery retailer Loblaw Companies Limited is selling a controversial genetically engineered tomato in many stores across Ontario and Nova Scotia without ensuring clear product labelling for customers.

“Loblaw should immediately remove this genetically engineered tomato from stores before it undermines consumer trust in fresh produce,” said Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN). “Without clear labelling, consumers don’t know which fruits and vegetables are genetically engineered and which aren’t.”

METRO, a food and pharmacy leader in Quebec and Ontario, has already committed to not selling this GE tomato and other GE produce items.

The introduction of the GE tomato adds to the small number of GE fruits and vegetables on the market in Canada, alongside GE sweetcorn, GE papaya, and a GE pink pineapple. A wave of GE produce could be coming because many future products created through the new gene editing techniques will not be subjected to a Health Canada safety assessment.

“We don’t need genetically engineered purple tomatoes, we need more transparency in our grocery stores,” said Rachel Parent, founder of the group Kids Right to Know.

The tomato was genetically engineered by inserting genes from snapdragon flowers to make the tomato a deep purple colour and increase anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid that has antioxidant properties, already available in other purple fruits and vegetables including some other non-GE purple tomatoes. It was developed by two UK professors and is marketed by a small US biotechnology company.

The product has a distinctive deep purple colour but is not labelled genetically engineered. It is branded as the “Empress” tomato, grown and distributed by the Ontario company Red Sun Farms.

“I’m deeply concerned that unlabelled genetically engineered foods like this tomato could erode trust in the produce aisle and undermine confidence in healthy eating,” said nutritionist Julie Daniluk,“People deserve full transparency with labeling so they can feel certain about the choices they make.”

Mandatory labelling of genetically engineered food is supported by 83% of Canadians according to an October 2025 poll.

The product launch comes just days in advance of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association tradeshow in Toronto which starts tomorrow, where Red Sun Farms will feature its GE purple tomato.

For more information: Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), c. 902 209 4906, coordinator@cban.ca, www.cban.ca/purple-tomato