GM crops and foods NOT on the market in Canada

The Canadian government does not track which genetically modified (GM or genetically engineered) foods are on the market and new gene edited GM foods are exempt from government pre-market regulation which means that they can be released without any notification to the government. The below are some GM foods that are commonly discussed but are not on the market in Canada as of October 2025.

Read CBAN’s new report Gene-Edited Fruits and Vegetables: The Threat of New GMOs in Canada, October 1, 2025.

• Apple: Sold in the US only, in bags of sliced apples. It is not on the Canadian market.
• Banana: There is a disease-resistant GM banana that was approved in Australia and New Zealand in 2024, and there are at least two gene-edited bananas that are being promoted for possible introduction.
• Flax: Canadian farmers suffered a GM flax contamination crisis in late 2009, despite the fact that GM flax has never been on the market.
• Potato: GM potatoes from the company Simplot are sold in the US, but not yet in Canada.
• Rice: The genetically modified Vitamin-A “Golden Rice” was temporarily grown in limited amounts in the Philippines for local consumption but a court case has halted this production.
• Salad greens: Bayer has delayed its release of GM mustard greens that are gene edited to taste less mustardy.
• Salmon: Production of GM salmon ended in 2024.
• Squash: A few GM squash varieties have been grown in the US since 1999 and may have been imported to Canada, but are discontinued for seed sales in 2026.
• Strawberry: There are no genetically engineered strawberries on the market but the company Simplot is seeking to commercialize one or more gene-edited GM strawberries in the US and Canada.
• Tomato: There is a GM purple tomato, sold in the US only. Not yet approved in Canada.
• Wheat: A GM wheat is grown in Argentina for the market in Argentina and Brazil (2024). It is not approved for sale in Canada.