September 4, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on September 4, 2024 that 1 gene-edited tomato and 1 gene-edited Arabidopsis thaliana meet the exemption criteria. The gene-edited tomato was developed by GFLAS Life Sciences, Inc, South Korea, and knocked out the 5/DWFSA gene by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, which resulted in increased levels of 7-dehydrocholesterol in tomatoes. Gene-edited Arabidopsis thaliana, developed by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research (RNZIPFR), knocked out the AtD14 gene by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, resulting in estrogen insensitivity, reduced plant height, increased branching, altered root development, and delayed leaf aging in Arabidopsis thaliana.

After evaluating the applicant's submission, APHIS concluded that the gene-edited tomato and gene-edited Arabidopsis do not contain an exogenous gene and are unlikely to pose a higher risk of plant pests and diseases compared to their non-regulated counterparts. As a result, APHIS declared that they meet the criteria for exemption, but remain subject to EPA and FDA regulation.