Alert! Loblaws is selling genetically modified purple tomatoes.
GM tomatoes have been discovered in the produce sections of many stores owned by Loblaws in Ontario and Nova Scotia (Atlantic Superstore, The Real Canadian Superstore).
These tomatoes are not labelled as genetically engineered but carry the US mandatory logo for “bioengineered” food. The tomatoes are in a clear plastic box branded “Empress” from the Canadian company Red Sun Farms.
We need your immediate response.
Take Action Today
Tell Loblaws to remove GM tomatoes from the produce section.
If the company wants to sell genetically modified fruits and vegetables it should make a special section that is clearly labelled for customers.
- Write to the head office of Loblaws: https://www.loblaws.ca/en/contact-us Here is some possible wording: I am writing to ask Loblaws to stop selling genetically modified purple tomatoes from Red Sun Farms. Please commit to selling only non-GMO produce.
- Check your local store and report sightings to CBAN. Send us the location and your photos of the GM tomatoes, the price, and the outside of the store. Email Fionna at outreach@cban.ca
- Tell the produce manager you don’t want GM tomatoes in the store and ask them to tell the head office that a customer has complained.
This widespread, hidden GM product launch by Loblaw Companies is a serious threat to our food system. Companies are testing consumer tolerance for genetically modified (genetically engineered) produce. People across Canada need to let Loblaw know that GM fruits and vegetables are not acceptable in our produce sections.
Take action at cban.ca/LoblawsAction
Background
The genetically modified (GM or genetically engineered) “Empress” purple tomato is the first GM tomato since Monsanto removed its Flavr Savr™ tomato from the market in 1997. It is also the first GM tomato approved for growing in Canada and the first GM seed available to home gardeners.
The GM purple tomato was genetically engineered by inserting two genes from snapdragon flowers, to increase the plant’s anthocyanin production which also gives the tomato its purple skin and flesh. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid that has antioxidant properties, and that give blueberries and eggplants their vibrant colours. There are already many non-GM purple tomato varieties on the market, that have been bred using conventional breeding methods to contain higher levels of anthocyanins.
Now, there are four genetically modified fruits and vegetables currently on the market in Canada, with a very marginal presence in grocery stores: GM purple tomatoes, GM sweet corn, GM papaya, and GM pink pineapple. Until now, genetic engineering in our diets has been dominated by processed food ingredients from GM corn, GM canola, GM soy and GM sugar beet, but this is set to change.
Until the GM purple tomatoes, the only genetically engineered vegetable grown in Canada has been GM sweet corn, with seeds sold only in quantities for large-scale growers. A limited quantity of GM “Purple Tomato” seeds are for sale to home gardeners in Canada.
For more information see our report Gene-Edited Fruits and Vegetables: The threat of new GMOs in Canada, Updated December 2025.
Take action at cban.ca/ProtectOurProduce