Guidance on regulatory framework for genome edited crops for use as food and/or feed

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by James

Guidance explains how Singapore’s SFA assesses genome edited (GEd) crops intended for use as food and/or feed, focusing on whether the crop contains foreign DNA. It defines genome editing, distinguishes GEd crops without foreign DNA from those considered equivalent to GMOs, and clarifies notification versus pre-market approval requirements. The document describes a notification procedure, provides an information checklist, outlines FAQ topics, and notes public disclosure principles and periodic updates.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

Modern biotechnology and genome editing

Foreign DNA versus GMO-equivalent crops

Transparency and updates

Procedure for notifying SFA

Determining whether foreign DNA is present

Pathway A and Pathway B overview

Information checklist for notification

Frequently Asked Questions

Revision history

Annex: Glossary of terms and abbreviations

Guidance on regulatory framework for genome edited crops for use as food and/or feed 1 Aug 2024 Contents 1 Overview .................................................................................................................... 1 2 Procedure for notifying SFA on genome edited crops without foreign DNA ................ 2 3 Information Checklist to notify SFA of GEd crop without foreign DNA for use as food and/or feed ........................................................................................................................ 4 4 Frequently Asked Questions....................................................................................... 5 5 Revision History ......................................................................................................... 9 6 Annex: Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations ............................................................. 9 1 Overview 1.1 Modern biotechnology has accelerated the breeding of new crop varieties 1 with desirable agronomic traits, such as disease resistance, drought tolerance, and improved nutrition, for use as food and animal feed. These traits can bring benefits for the farmer and the consumer. Genome editing represents a set of tools from modern biotechnology that enables crop developers to make precise changes within an organism’s genome. 2 Examples of genome editing tools that have been used to generate new food crop varieties include zinc finger nucleases (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) nucleases. 1.2 Genome editing has been employed to expedite the breeding of new crop varieties that could have been generated via conventional breeding3. This is because genome editing can be used to generate precise changes in an organism’s genome that are equivalent to the changes that occur naturally or during conventional crop breeding. SFA does not consider such crop varieties to contain foreign DNA. This is because SFA considers foreign DNA to be DNA sequences derived from source organism(s) , or DNA sequences not found in nature, that are introduced into a host organism’s genome and could not have been inserted naturally or been introduced into said organism using conventional breeding techniques. 1.3 Genome editing can also be employed to generate new crop varieties that contain foreign DNA. SFA considers such GEd crops to be equivalent to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) . 1.4 SFA encourages crop developers intending to sell or offer their GEd crops that do not contain foreign DNA for feed and/or feed to notify SFA by providing information 1 A crop is a plant, a macroscopic fungus (e.g. , mushroom), or a macroscopic alga (e.g. , seaweed) . 2 The genome of an organism includes its entire hereditary material, which is made from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) . The genome includes , but is not limited to, the chromosomal DNA, mitochondrial DNA, chloroplast DNA and plasmid DNA. 3 Conventional crop breeding techniques include selective breeding , cross breeding, in vitro cell fusion between related species, and mutagenesis via ionising radiation or chemical mutagens , but excludes modern biotechnology techniques such as genome editing and genetic modification. on said crop to SFA (see Section 3 for Information Checklist) . Based on the information provided, SFA will verify that said crop indeed does not contain foreign DNA and is therefore equivalent to conventionally bred crops. Upon verification, SFA will inform the crop developer that said GEd crop does not need to undergo GMO pre-market assessment. 1.5 GMO crops and genome edited (GEd) crops equivalent to GMOs are required to obtain SFA’s pre-market approval before they can be sold or offered for use in food and/or feed. Please refer to the Conditions related to Genetically Modified Crops on SFA’s website for further information on the GMO pre-market approval pro

FAQs

What is the key factor SFA uses to decide whether a genome edited crop needs GMO pre-market assessment?

SFA determines whether the crop contains foreign DNA. If it does not contain foreign DNA, SFA verifies this and the crop does not need GMO pre-market assessment.

What happens when a genome edited crop contains foreign DNA?

If the crop contains foreign DNA, it must undergo SFA’s pre-market approval process (Pathway B) before it can be sold or offered for use in food and/or feed.

What information will be publicly available after GEd crop notification is completed?

Only the crop’s common/scientific name, commercial/proprietary name, marketed traits, and intended use (as food and/or feed) are made publicly known, while confidential business information is not disclosed without explicit consent.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by James