https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/column/16/031700078/102300035/

Yoshiko Sasa, Managing Director of the NPO Kurashito Bio Plaza 21, has recently summarized the trends in the development status of genome-edited foods in Japan and published an article on this subject in Nikkei Biotech.

In 2021, genome-edited foods were put into practical use for the first time in Japan.

• In 2020-2021, Sanatec Life Sciences, renamed to Sanatec Seed in 2024, released “Sicilian Rouge Hi-GABA,” a tomato with increased GABA content
• Also in 2021, Regional Fish released “22nd Century Sea Bream,” a red sea bream with increased edible portion, and “22nd Century Fugu,” a high-growth tiger pufferfish.
• In September 2024, Regional Fish released “high-growth flounder”.

Sanatech Life Sciences has begun selling its GABA-enhanced tomatoes in supermarkets in 2023, in addition to selling tomatoes and tomato puree in the fruit and vegetable section by mail order. Regional Fish continues to sell thick red sea bream, high-growth tiger pufferfish, and high-growth flounder online, and the high-growth tiger pufferfish has been selected as a hometown tax return gift for Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture. They are also working on partnerships with restaurants.

The development of new genome-edited foods is also continuing. As of October 2024, three research institutions are conducting test cultivation.

• The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) has begun trial cultivation of rice that has been modified through genome editing to improve the ability to absorb and fix carbon dioxide by modifying genes related to the number and size of seeds (sink capacity), the photosynthetic ability of leaves, and the ability to absorb nutrients (source capacity).
• NARO also conducted trial cultivation of wheat that suppresses “pre-harvest sprouting” and potatoes with reduced toxins in the sprouts in 2023. Okayama University is conducting joint research with NARO on this wheat, and the university also conducted trial cultivation from 2023 to 2024. The University of Tokyo has also used genome editing to create rice that has genes related to flowering time, circadian rhythm, and stress resistance, and is trial cultivating it in 2024. It is hoped that beneficial changes will occur in these traits.

Research using genome editing technology is also being led by the government. In the “Development of crop varieties and breeding materials using genome editing technology,” the following items were developed in research from FY2019 to FY2023.

• Potatoes that do not sprout during storage, are resistant to bruising, and are easy to process
• Wheat that is resistant to red mold
• Flowering plants that last a long time and are suitable for labor-saving cultivation (lilies, bellflowers)
• Seedless fruit vegetables (bell peppers, paprika) due to parthenocarpy (no need for artificial pollination)
• Super high-yield rice with improved ripening and translocation (traits that accumulate starch well in rice)
• Soybeans with reduced allergens
• Late-flowering radish (late flowering leads to thicker roots and increased edible parts)
• Onions with increased flavor components that are less likely to make you cry

Genome-edited foods are gradually being accepted by society, but some people are worried about genome-edited foods penetrating the market. The Japan Consumers’ Federation (JFCF), a non-profit organization, and the consumer activist group No Genetically Modified Foods! The Iracan Campaign (hereafter referred to as Iracan) is conducting various opposition campaigns, claiming that genome-edited foods have not been verified for safety or assessed for their impact on biodiversity and the environment. Japan Consumers’ Association and Irakan are lobbying local governments to require the labeling of genome-edited foods to be mandatory. As a result, several local governments have sent opinions to the government requesting the labeling of genome-edited foods to be mandatory.

Japan Consumers’ Association and Irakan are also campaigning against chicken eggs that have had allergens removed through genome editing, which are being jointly developed by Kewpie and Hiroshima University.