Alert: Unlabelled Genetically Engineered Fruits & Vegetables in Your Produce Section

Photo: From left to right: Fionna Tough of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network; Chef Doris Fin; Rachel Parent of Kids Right to Know. Outside Loblaws, Carlton Street, Toronto. April 28, 2026

A genetically engineered (GE or genetically modified) purple tomato is now being sold in stores owned by Loblaw Companies Limited across Ontario and Nova Scotia including Loblaws, Superstore, and Zehrs. However, it’s not clearly labelled as genetically engineered and many customers may not be aware.

Most genetically engineered foods sold in Canada are processed food ingredients from corn, canola and soy. The only other GE foods sold in Canadian produce sections currently are GE papaya, a GE pink pineapple, and some GE sweet corn, but the introduction of this GE tomato could open the door to many more GE whole foods.

Genetic engineering, often also called genetic modification, is an invasive and inadequately understood technology that directly changes the genetic make-up of plants and animals, creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs). There is no mandatory labelling of genetically engineered foods in Canada despite over twenty years of polling that consistently finds over 80% of Canadians want GMOs labelled.

Unknown genetically engineered fresh foods are a concern for Ontario nutritionist Julie Daniluk who says, “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. People deserve full transparency with labelling so they can feel certain about the choices they make.”

A Genetically Engineered Purple Tomato, for what?

This tomato was genetically engineered with two genes from snapdragon flowers to create a deep purple colour and increase the plant’s anthocyanin production. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid that has antioxidant properties, and they make this tomato purple. However, there are already many non-GE purple tomatoes on the market that have high anthocyanins, along with other purple fruits and vegetables like blueberries and eggplants. The packaging for this GE tomato makes no health claims for what the biotechnology company CEO has called a “fun product”.

Companies are using this GE tomato to test consumer acceptance, to launch many more future genetically engineered fruits and vegetables. This product launch comes just days before the Canadian Produce Marketing Association tradeshow in Toronto this week, where Red Sun Farms will feature its GE purple tomato.

How to Identify this GE Purple Tomato

While there are already many non-GE purple tomatoes and other colourful non-GE tomatoes in stores and at farmers markets, this genetically engineered tomato has a very deep purple colour inside and outside.

The GE tomato in stores is called the “Empress” tomato and is sold in clear plastic boxes with purple branding. It is grown by the company Red Sun Farms at their large greenhouses in Kingsville, Ontario.

It is not labelled as genetically engineered or genetically modified but there is a small logo on the bottom left of the package that says “bioengineered” which is the new US government requirement for labelling genetically engineered food. This is ironic, because there is no Canadian requirement to label genetically engineered foods and consumers in Canada will largely not recognize the term “bioengineered”.

The branding on the package also says that it is a “Patented Technology” which refers to the fact that the tomato has a new, patented gene sequence which also means it is illegal to save and use the GE tomato seeds without permission from the company.

This GE tomato is only sold in Loblaw stores but some other companies could sell the GE “Purple Tomato” seeds and some garden centres may sell the seedlings. While Loblaws is selling the fruit, the METRO grocery chain in Ontario and Quebec has already committed to not selling the GE tomato and other GE produce items.

The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network has published a Consumer Alert to help inform shoppers.

What’s Next?

The simplest, most transparent and precautionary solution to this problem of unlabelled genetically engineered fruits and vegetables is to keep them out of produce sections. If grocery chains want to sell GE fruits and vegetables, they should clearly label them and promote them in special, segregated sections so consumers can know where the GE foods are and can shop without having to become food detectives.

If you object to GE fruits and vegetables in your produce section, contact Loblaws today cban.ca/LoblawsAction

For more information see CBAN’s report Gene-Edited Fruits and Vegetables: The threat of new GMOs in Canada, December 2025.

For information on which GE foods are on the market see www.cban.ca/gmfoods