Japan: Japan Determines Genome Edited Tomato Will Not be Regulated as GE

On December 11, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) announced their determination that a genome edited tomato will not be regulated as a genetically engineered (GE) product. This is the first product to complete either ministry’s voluntary notification process for verification of whether a genome edited product should be regulated as a GE product. The tomato was developed in Japan by a joint venture between a public university and a private company and is intended for commercial distribution. The developer used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to increase the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in the tomato.

Japan: Japan Determines Genome Edited Tomato Will Not be Regulated as GE