According to the report, Environment and Climate Change Canada conducted public consultations from June 20 to July 20, 2025, on four lines of genetically engineered pigs submitted under the New Substances program. If approved, these animals could be permitted for use in commercial breeding programs and pork production in Canada.
At the time the report was prepared, no final regulatory decision on these lines had been issued. In addition, Health Canada had not published food safety assessments for products derived from such animals, which are a mandatory step for market authorization.
At the same time, Canada decided to pause proposed changes to its policy on cloned farm animals. Health Canada has indefinitely suspended an update to the regulatory framework that would have removed cattle and swine produced through somatic cell nuclear transfer, as well as their offspring, from Canada’s novel food regulations. The initiative was first proposed in spring 2024 but was frozen in fall 2025 following feedback and criticism from consumers and industry stakeholders.
Under the current regulatory framework, food products derived from cloned pigs continue to be classified in Canada as novel foods. This means they require mandatory pre-market approval, including a comprehensive assessment of safety for human health.
Experts note that this cautious stance by Canadian regulators reflects a balance between innovation in animal agriculture and public sensitivity to biotechnology in the food chain. On the one hand, genetically engineered animals could open new opportunities to improve productivity and sector resilience. On the other, issues of ethics, transparency, and consumer trust remain key factors shaping future policy decisions.
It is expected that the outcomes of the public consultations and scientific safety evaluations will be decisive for the future of genetically engineered pigs in Canada, while policy on cloned animals is likely to remain unchanged, at least in the short term.
PigUA.info, based on materials from thepigsite.com