MEET THE FIRST FDA-APPROVED GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ANIMAL
Frankenfish
MEET THE FIRST FDA-APPROVED GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ANIMAL
ENGINEERED SALMON — FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION , BUT STILL NO LABEL SAYING IT ’ S BEEN GENETICALLY MODIFIED
November 19 , 2015 , the FDA approved genetically engineered ( GE ) salmon for human consumption — without labeling it as genetically modified and insisting that it ’ s safe — while at the same time challenged the term “ Non-GMO ,” saying that it conveyed an overly broad and inaccurate meaning when referring to food products . The FDA ’ s rationale was , “ Most foods do not contain entire organisms .”
They ’ d prefer food labels to say , “ Not bioengineered ,” or “ This oil is made from soybeans that were not genetically engineered .” Plus , the FDA is still opposed to mandatory disclosure of genetically modified ingredients on food labels .
For consumers and companies who fight for the right to know what ’ s in their food and to keep GMOs out of their foods and products by the “ Non-GMO ” label , that ’ s unthinkable .
The GE fish is AquAdvantage salmon , produced by AquaBounty Technologies in Waltham , MA ., and the FDA states it has “ rigorously evaluated extensive data submitted by the manufacturer . . . and other peer-reviewed data .” It adds ,
“ There are no biologically relevant differences in the nutritional profile of AquAdvantage salmon compared to that of other farm-raised Atlantic salmon .”
The salmon are not the same , though . For starters , the genetically modified salmon combines the genes of Atlantic salmon and Chinook salmon with those of a different marine species , an ocean pout , to make it grow twice as fast .
The GE salmon is also more allergenic , and the GE fish can escape holding areas and reproduce , although AquaBounty reports that the fish are well-contained and sterile . But Canadian scientists pointed out that the GE salmon could crossbreed with a closely related species and pass on GE traits to offspring . Additionally , the Center for Food Safety and other entities cited reports of negligence and mismanagement at AquaBounty ’ s facilities that could increase fish escape risk .
The FDA indicates that the GE salmon is safe , doesn ’ t require a GE label , and plans to make it available nationwide in about two years , but consumers still want to know if the food they eat is genetically modified or not .