Gene Editing Industry Grows As Food Regulation Loosens

Growing Distrust of Food Safety in GM and Gene-Edited Products

The Japanese government has approved gene-edited red seabream for its market release. The edible part of the fish is 20 to 60 percent more than its natural kind. This photo is unrelated to the actual gene-edited red seabream. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Most people are familiar with the term genetically modified foods (GM foods or GMOs), but not so with “gene-edited food.” Recently, gene-edited red seabream, a fish species commonly found in Japan, has been approved by its government for market release.

Gene editing, also referred to as genome editing, is a method that works by using enzymes to cut DNA at specific points; it can be used to add, delete, or replace sections of DNA of the organism.