How gene editing is bringing healthier, planet-saving foods to your plate

What is gene editing and precision breeding?

Gene editing is a ‘precision breeding’ technique that allows scientists to make precise, targeted changes to the genetic code (DNA) of crops. This creates useful new traits such as resistance to pests and diseases, improved nutritional value, or enhanced climate resilience.

Precision breeding is the legal term for a wider range of modern genetic technologies that includes gene editing. One method you might have heard of is called CRISPR-Cas9.

Crucially, the changes made by precision breeding could have happened naturally or through decades of traditional breeding. This means the final plant is no different from one created the conventional way, but precision breeding (including gene editing) allows us to do it in a fraction of the time. This makes the process more efficient and better value for breeders and farmers, and consumers get to see the benefits in their shopping baskets much sooner.

Precision breeding and gene editing are different from genetic modification (GM) because the resulting plants do not need to contain DNA from unrelated species.

Find out more about different crop breeding techniques from our partners at the John Innes Centre:

Why are we talking about gene editing now?

New legislation has been passed by the UK Parliament, allowing this technology to move forward safely in England.

Experts from the Earlham Institute and other organisations at Norwich Research Park have worked closely with government agencies, including Defra and the Food Standards Agency, for many years. This teamwork was vital in building a strong new regulatory system for precision breeding with the highest safety standards for public health and the environment. As a result, you can have full confidence in these new gene edited foods when they appear in your shops.

Why did the rules change?

Until recently, gene edited crops were regulated under the same rules as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These rules were slow, complicated and expensive for crops that are essentially the same as those created by traditional breeding methods. The law was updated to create a more proportionate, science-based approach that allows these innovative products to be commercialised more efficiently. The changes aim to:

Speed up innovation: Helping scientists to develop more nutritious, resilient and sustainable crops much faster than traditional breeding allows.
Reduce costs: Lowering the financial burden on scientists and breeders bringing new crop varieties to market, which reduces costs for farmers and strengthens our food supply chain.
Support sustainability: Putting environmentally- friendly farming at the forefront of food production.

How have the rules changed?

The new regulations officially came into force in England in November 2025. The main changes are:

Separation from genetic modification: The new law creates a clear distinction between "precision-bred" plants and GMOs. While strict regulations remain in place for GMOs, precision-bred plants now have their own dedicated regulatory system.
A new, efficient system: This simplifies how precision-bred products reach the market. It introduces a more efficient, science-based process for authorising precision-bred foods and animal feeds to make sure they are assessed appropriately for safety without the complex administrative hurdles of the past.
Focus on plants first: The new rules currently apply to plants in England only. The UK Government will develop separate new rules for precision-bred animals to ensure that animal welfare is fully protected. These regulations will be introduced at a later date.
Global alignment: The changes bring England more into line with regulatory approaches taken by most countries outside the EU, including the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Brazil and Argentina. The European Union is also in the final stages of updating its own regulations on gene-edited plants to encourage innovation and more sustainable farming across Europe.

Are precision-bred foods safe?

Yes, safety remains the highest priority. There is an overwhelming body of scientific evidence that precision-bred plants carry no greater risk than traditionally bred plants. The new system ensures public confidence through:

Safety checks: Under the new rules, all precision bred foods must be assessed for novelty, nutritional changes, toxicity, allergenicity, and other safety concerns. Precision-bred products must also undergo the same rigorous field trials and safety assessments as any traditionally bred foods.
Traceability: Existing food law is used to ensure that all precision-bred foods and animal feed can be traced throughout the supply chain. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) oversees this process.
Public register: The Food Standards Agency is also creating a public register where you will be able to find details of all precision-bred products approved for use in food and feed.

For further information, read the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) advice to Defra’s consultation on the regulation of genetic technologies

When will gene-edited foods be available?

The first gene-edited products could be available to consumers in England from 2026.

Developing the fundamental science behind gene editing

At the Earlham Institute, we are enabling the development of gene edited crops using world class technology to deepen understanding of crop species. By studying the genomes of crops - scientists are better informed on the best ways to use gene editing technology.

Further reading:

Professor Neil Hall, Earlham Institute Director

Why gene editing promises so much

The regulatory change means England is now poised to unlock the vast potential of this technology. With new laws in place, scientists and farmers can finally start using these breakthroughs to tackle some of our biggest societal challenges, from securing food production and public health, to combating the effects of climate change.

This revolutionary science offers opportunities to transform agriculture and food production, driving progress towards net zero and better protecting nature.

The Earlham Institute, along with other world-changing research establishments at Norwich Research Park, including the John Innes Centre, The Sainsbury Laboratory, the Quadram Institute and the University of East Anglia, are all working on or with gene editing.

Here are some examples of the benefits that gene editing offers.

Healthier, tastier and better value food choices

Gene editing is a powerful way to modify the composition of food crops, making them more nutritious, safer, and better quality and better value for consumers.

Tackling malnutrition and obesity: It can be used to boost the content of essential vitamins and minerals in food crops, and to develop healthier varieties with enhanced nutritional profiles. This can help combat global nutrient deficiencies and relieve the impacts of poor diets and rising obesity rates on public health care.
Enhancing food safety: Gene editing can reduce or eliminate certain allergens (like gluten in wheat) or harmful natural toxins. This improves food safety and allows people with dietary restrictions to safely enjoy a wider variety of foods.
Improving taste and appeal: Scientists can use gene editing to enhance the natural flavour compounds in fruits and vegetables, making them taste better.
Less waste and lower bills: By making subtle changes, we can give fresh produce a longer shelf life. This means less food is thrown away by shops and households, putting less strain on the food supply and helping to reduce food costs.

"Biofortification provides a critical opportunity to improve the nutritional properties of foods through both traditional and modern approaches such as gene editing. Improving nutritional quality is essential for creating better dietary choices that will ultimately increase the healthy lifespan of the population.

“The UK now has the lowest Healthy Life Expectancy in western Europe and this is partly due to a national diet containing energy-dense foods that lack essential nutrients. This places a huge and often avoidable burden on the NHS, so we desperately need to focus more on increasing the nutrient density of foods.”

Professor Martin Warren, research group leader at the Quadram Institute and Co-Director of the BBSRC-funded Biofortification Hub hosted by the John Innes Centre and Quadram Institute.

A new source of vitamin D

Researchers at the John Innes Centre have used gene editing to develop tomatoes fortified with vitamin D. This could help millions of people with vitamin D deficiency, a growing issue linked to higher risk of cancer, dementia and many leading causes of death.

John Innes Centre

Extending the shelf life of bananas

By using precision breeding to edit genes that control fruit ripening, Norwich-based company Tropic has developed bananas with an extended shelf life of up to 12 days. This breakthrough could dramatically cut food waste and costs across the global supply chain.

PhD Researcher Carolina Olave-Achury working with infected banana plants in the labs at EI

Tropic

More resilient and sustainable crops

Farmers face constant challenges from pests, diseases, and unpredictable weather conditions, which can have devastating effects on their crop yields. Gene editing offers them genetic solutions that reduce these risks and enhance crop efficiency, helping them to save money, secure our food supply and address the rising costs of production.

Climate resilience: Precision breeding helps create climate-proof crops that are better adapted to harsh environmental extremes like heat, drought and heavy rainfall. This is essential for stabilising yields in the face of climate change, giving farmers greater security.
Pest and disease resistance: Crops can be edited to make them resistant to common pests and diseases, dramatically reducing the need for chemical pesticides and cutting costs for farmers.
Enhanced efficiency and higher yields: By fine tuning plant genetics to make crops highly efficient at using soil nutrients and water, precision breeding can significantly improve yields whilst reducing the need for expensive agricultural inputs like chemical fertilisers.

“UK agriculture is under increasing pressure to produce more food with fewer resources, reduce environmental impact and adapt to a rapidly changing climate – all while managing intense cost pressures. Precision-bred crops offer real potential to help us meet these challenges, so being able to trial them on our farms is a major turning point for the sector. Under current legislation we have a unique opportunity to do this work here in the UK and share our findings and experiences for the greater good.”

Tom Allen-Stevens, Oxfordshire arable farmer and managing director of the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN)

Delivering Sustainable Wheat

The Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) programme is a collaborative research initiative aiming to address critical challenges in wheat health, yield, and production to safeguard the future of this vital crop. It uses gene editing to accelerate the discovery and validation of useful traits that could be effectively integrated into wheat breeding programmes.

Delivering Sustainable Wheat

Safeguarding British sugar

Virus Yellows disease poses a major threat to sugar beet production, causing a 25% reduction in yield and costing the UK industry £65 million in 2020 alone. The John Innes Centre is working with British Sugar, Tropic and other partners to develop an innovative gene editing platform to protect the British sugar beet crop against such catastrophic losses.

Dan Green, Agriculture Director at British Sugar, said: “Farming has always had to evolve to meet changing climates and ecosystems, and gene editing is the next evolution for the future. It will help British sugar beet farmers tackle the impact of climate change by creating stronger, disease-resistant crops, reducing the use of pesticides, and ensuring greater domestic food security. Our gene editing research plays a crucial part in the ongoing work to develop more sustainable solutions to tackling Virus Yellows disease, which can have a devastating impact on sugar beet.”

John Innes Centre

Boosting resilience to Panama disease

Tropic is using gene editing to boost the resilience of the banana against the devastating Panama disease (Fusarium wilt). This approach is crucial for safeguarding the livelihoods and food security of the 400 million people who depend on the global banana industry.

Tropic

Making tomatoes mildew-proof

Powdery mildew disease is one of the main reasons why British tomato growers spray fungicides on their crops. The Sainsbury Laboratory has used gene editing to create mildew-resistant tomato plants that could dramatically reduce the need for fungicides in greenhouses.

Making Tomatoes Mildew-Proof | YouTube

A greener future

Accelerating scientific discovery

Gene editing also serves as an ultra-efficient discovery tool for scientists. By enabling precise, targeted changes to a gene, it helps researchers swiftly uncover how plants function and respond to their environment, and understand the roles of specific genes.

By accelerating this detective work, scientists can quickly identify and confirm helpful new traits and move them rapidly into crop improvement programmes.

Hopes of temperature tolerant wheat

Researchers at the John Innes Centre (JIC) have used gene editing to identify a temperature tolerance factor that may protect wheat from the increasingly unpredictable effects of climate change.

John Innes Centre

Wheat fertility in a changing climate

Gene editing has helped to identify and explain a key gene that has profound effects on the production of seeds in wheat. The discovery presents an exciting opportunity to breed high-yield, elite wheat varieties, while also allowing the introduction of critically important traits such as heat resilience and disease resistance.

John Innes Centre

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How gene editing is bringing healthier, planet-saving foods to your plate

What is gene editing and precision breeding?

Why are we talking about gene editing now?

Developing the fundamental science behind gene editing

Why gene editing promises so much

Healthier, tastier and better value food choices

More resilient and sustainable crops

A greener future

Accelerating scientific discovery

Keep up-to-date with our latest science

Related reading.

Why gene editing is vital to protect nature

Gene editing: why scientists need to be part of the conversation

Five reasons why gene editing is good for the UK

Precision Breeding for plants signed into law

Precision breeding technology legislation receives Royal Assent

Government committed to unlocking precision breeding technology