Gene-edited citrus can now skip safety reviews for a common protein

US environmental regulators just exempted a specific protein, SpCas9, from safety reviews when used in gene-edited citrus. This means citrus growers using this protein will not need to prove it is safe for human consumption.

For decades, any new substance in food had to pass a safety review, even if it was a common protein. This rule change means that gene-edited crops using well-known proteins can get to market faster. It removes a regulatory hurdle for a specific type of genetic engineering.