Japan’s first gene-edited food is a tomato that contains four to five times more GABA, a substance reported to be effective in controlling high blood pressure.

This month marks the start of shipments of tomatoes that control high blood pressure, the first gene-edited food to be approved by the Japanese government for distribution and sale.

Gene-editing technology allows the genome (total genetic material of an organism), the blueprint of life, to be altered at will. Research and development is underway on a wide variety of gene-edited foods that improve the quality and productivity of edible plants and animals, and the dawn of a new era in food is near.

Consumer understanding is the key to widespread acceptance of these foods. This article explores the possibilities and challenges of the coming new era of food.

Tomatoes that can Lower Blood Pressure

Japan’s first gene-edited food is a tomato that contains four to five times more GABA, a substance reported to be effective in controlling high blood pressure and alleviating stress, than a conventional tomato.

It was jointly developed by the venture capital firm Sanatech Seed (Minato-ku, Tokyo), and the University of Tsukuba using a gene-editing technology called CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt genes that suppress the production of GABA.

In December last year, an investigative committee of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare confirmed that the tomato is not a “genetically modified food”, or a food into which new genes have been introduced, and that it produces no substances harmful to the human body.

When the company put out a call for monitors offering free seedlings to grow in home vegetable gardens, it received about 5,000 applications by the late-February deadline and began shipping out the plants on the 11th of May.

Although there is no labeling requirement, the seedlings are being clearly labeled as using gene-editing technology to see how consumers will respond. Starting in autumn 2021, the tomatoes will be cultivated by contracted farmers. Sanatech Seed plans to start selling tomato puree on its website by the end of the year, followed by tomato fruits and seedlings from next spring.

The company has started taking orders for the tomato puree and has already received hundreds of pre-orders.

Sanatech President, Shinpei Takeshita, commented, “We hope that many people will learn about our great product and that it will help improve the quality of their lives.”