Two newly released JRC reports describe case studies of how crops developed through gene editing could become celiac-safe or resistant to disease and allow to reduce the use of pesticides. The two reports support the impact assessment accompanying the Commission’s proposal on legislation for plants produced by certain new genomic techniques.

The first report focuses on the benefits that people suffering from gluten intolerance could obtain if a low-gluten, celiac-safe wheat would be available on the market. This crop has been developed by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and by the Wageningen University & Research (WUR).

The second report focuses on plant varieties the gene editing of which has made them disease resistant, therefore allowing for a reduction in pesticide use. In particular, the authors consider an apple variety resistant to scab and a potato variety resistant to late blight.

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