FDA approved gene-edited pigs could find way to Canadian plates

At least it isn’t vegan bacon.

But now the jury is out on whether genetically modified livestock are a panacea for food producers or an another example of factory farmed frankenfoods.

Decades after genetically modified plants became common on dinner tables, the US Food and Drug Administration has quietly approved the first gene-edited pigs for human consumption.

Starting on May 1, gene-edited pigs engineered to resist porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) have been aproved for sale and consumption.

Although they haven’t been approved in this country, Canada is widely expected to follow suit under agricultural trade agreements with the World Trade Orgnization.

PRRS is a virus that causes over USD$1.2 billion in annual losses to the American pork industry and an additional $130 million in Canada. 

The gene-editing technique, which disables a protein in pig cells that the virus uses to infect its host, was developed by British firm Genus plc and could represent what some experts are calling “a seismic shift” in livestock management.

“Now that it’s cleared the FDA, the question is when — not if — we see this in Canada,” said one senior agricultural researcher involved in food safety policy.

The pigs do not carry foreign DNA; rather, their own genetic material has been slightly modified using CRISPR to mimic changes that could, in theory, occur naturally. 

Advocates argue the distinction is vital — not just scientifically, but socially. In a world increasingly concerned with food resilience and antibiotic overuse, the conversation around gene-edited animals is beginning to pivot from dystopian fear to pragmatic necessity.

“There’s no point in letting pigs suffer and die when we have the tools to prevent it,” said Alison Van Eenennaam, an animal geneticist at the University of California, Davis. “This benefits the animals, the farmers, and the consumers.”

Canada’s regulatory framework still requires gene-edited animals to undergo rigorous environmental and safety assessments under both the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada. 

Unlike the US, where regulatory pathways are gradually easing, Canada maintains a “novel trait” definition that applies regardless of how the trait was introduced — by traditional breeding or gene editing.

Even so, the winds of change are blowing on this side of the border as well. Canada is the third-largest pork exporter in the world with sales of more than $4.2 billion in 2023.

In 2018, Canada joined 12 other countries in aWTO statement calling for reduced regulatory burdens on gene editing. Behind the scenes, discussions continue over how to harmonize regulations with trading partners like the US, especially as Canada remains a major importer and exporter of pork.

Meanwhile, the public perceptions between genetically modified plants and animals remains stark. 

So-called ‘GM’ crops like corn, soy, and canola are already widely accepted and cultivated across Canada and the US — a sharp contrast from the lingering skepticism surrounding GM livestock. 

In Europe, however, genetically modified animals — and many plants — remain largely banned. 

The EU maintains strict regulations prohibiting GM livestock for commercial production, and political resistance to relaxing those rules remains strong. 

But as climate change, pandemics and food insecurity challenge global supply chains, even that stance may eventually face scrutiny.