Non-GMO Project Certifies Tomato Grower in BC

With the latest certification of a non-GMO (genetically modified organism) food product in BC, the Non-GMO Project is slowly making it possible for consumers to make informed decisions about the food they buy. The certification of a hothouse tomato grower in Delta now allows them to label their tomatoes as Non-GMO verified.

Non-GMO Project

The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization that provides a verification standard and seal that assures retailers and consumers that the product is tested and meets best practices for GMO avoidance. The consortium of stakeholders who govern and administer the program include consumers, retailers, manufacturers, and growers throughout Canada and the US.

Canada doesn’t require that labels identify GMO ingredients

Their aim is to give consumers what they’ve long been asking governments for: mandatory labelling of foods that contain GM ingredients so they can make informed choices about the food they and their families eat.

In Canada about 70 percent of food sold includes genetically modified ingredients from such common crops as corn, soy, and canola. And while many other countries have mandatory GM labelling rules in place, Canada still does not.

Organic producers seek Non-GMO verification

Even producers who are certified as organic are seeking out the Non-GMO Project’s verification because their standards add further assurance through routine testing. The organic certification guarantees GMO as an excluded method (along with chemical pesticides and fertilizers), but doesn’t have an ongoing testing program. But accidental GM contamination of an organic crop—a growing problem for organic farmers—will be identified through the Non-GMO Project’s routine testing protocols.

Tomatoes are perfect but aren’t GMO

According to news reports, the newly certified Delta company was motivated to seek the certification following customer feedback and questions about the tomatoes being “too perfect.” Customers thought the tomatoes might be too uniform to be natural. But the grower points out that hothouse tomatoes are uniform because they aren’t subject to changing weather and growing conditions.

Recipes for that perfect—Non-GMO—tomato

• Crab Stuffed Tomato with Curry Mayo
• Green Tomato Chutney
• Oven-Dried Tomatoes
• Fresh Garden Salsa
• Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce
• Zucchini Pasta with Marinated Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto

… or just savour it fresh … all by itself.

Find more Non-GMO verified products

The Non-GMO Project has a searchable database of non-GMO verified products on their website that you can search by brand or category.