Gene-edited food labelling row returns after court ruling

A High Court ruling has raised major questions over England’s gene-editing rules after finding ministers failed to properly assess the impact of removing labelling and traceability safeguards from precision-bred crops and foods.

The judgment followed a legal challenge led by Beyond GM, which argued that farmers, food businesses, consumers and the organic sector could face added costs and uncertainty under the new regime.

The court found that Defra’s decision-making process was flawed after the farming minister at the time was given incorrect advice about his legal powers.

The case focused on the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations, which created a lighter-touch system for certain gene-edited plants and food products in England.

Precision-bred organisms are products developed using gene-editing techniques which ministers argue could have occurred through conventional breeding.

However, campaigners say the removal of mandatory labelling and traceability could make it harder for businesses and consumers to avoid gene-edited products.

The ruling highlighted potential consequences for organic producers, non-GM supply chains and exporters trading with the European Union, where rules remain more restrictive.

Beyond GM said organic farmers could face particular challenges because gene-edited organisms remain classified as genetically modified organisms under organic standards.

Pat Thomas, director of Beyond GM, said: “This case was never about whether gene editing technology is good or bad.

“It was about whether the government had fully investigated the consequences of removing labelling and end-to-end traceability for genetically modified precision bred organisms.”

The court said a different regulatory approach may have been adopted had the minister been given accurate advice.

Beyond GM argues the judgment shows the current framework remains incomplete and may need to be reconsidered.

The court will now consider what action should be taken in relation to the regulations following the ruling.

Gene editing remains a highly contested issue in agriculture. Supporters say it could help improve crop resilience, productivity and sustainability, while critics argue stronger safeguards are needed to protect transparency, consumer choice and export access.