Health Canada has added Pairwise’s gene edited mustard greens to its list of “non-novel” foods.
Through a voluntary process, Pairwise notified Health Canada about the mustard greens (Brassica juncea) that the company has bred using the tools of gene editing, or CRISPR, to reduce the natural pungency of the greens, thereby improving their flavor. The development of the greens, which will go to market in the U.S. this year under the brand name Conscious™ Greens, has been described in detail in the open access journalPlantsand on theConscious Foods website.
Pairwise provided the voluntary notification on March 7, 2023, and received a response from Health Canada the same day confirming the Agency would add our mustard greens to its list of non-novel foods developed through plant breeding and intended as food in Canada. According to Health Canada, these plants aren’t subject to pre-market assessment before their use in the Canadian food supply, as they are considered “non-novel.”
“As part of our commitment to transparency, we're very pleased to have participated in Health Canada's voluntary notification system, which resulted in this posting of our product on the non-novel list,” said Dan Jenkins, Vice President of Regulatory and Government Affairs at Pairwise. “We believe Canada is a policy leader in this space and we look forward to bringing great new varieties of fruits and vegetables, such as our nutrient-dense Conscious Greens, to Canadians in the near future.”
Health Canada is the federal department responsible for helping the people of Canada to maintain and improve their health, including reducing health disparities, promoting healthier lifestyles, and providing health information to help Canadians to make informed decisions.
This decision by Health Canada builds on similar determinations by regulatory agencies in a number of countries across the Americas.
To see the list on the Health Canada website click HERE.
