DuBreton, a Quebec-based pork processing company that serves niche markets, wants the federal government to mandate labeling for gene-edited pork.
Gene editing has been used to enhance pigs’ resistance to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory virus (PRRS) disease and other gene-editing projects are in the pipeline.
DuBreton’s offerings include organic pork. Organic standards prohibit gene editing.
“Without enforceable standards and transparent labelling, consumers cannot be certain the pork they purchase hasn’t been altered through genetic engineering,” said duBreton president Vincent Breton in a news release.
He also called on other certifying bodies, such as Humanely Raised and Raised Without Antibiotics, to make gene-editing labeling part of their standards.
This summer, the federal government completed public consultation around regulation of pigs that are resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) due to gene editing.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the pigs for use in the American food supply earlier this year, saying the edits are safe for pigs and for humans who consume pork.
However, according to a duBreton survey, 74 per cent of consumers are “concerned about gene-edited pork in their food supply and demand total transparency,” the news release said.
It’s probable that most of those surveyed don’t understand gene editing’s effect on pork production and quality.
