U.S. approves genetically modified salmon for food

USA regulators have given the go-ahead to genetically modified salmon, making it the first GM animal destined for human consumption.

There is no evidence that the foods would be unsafe, but for a few, it’s an ethical issue. But the agency said the fish is safe to eat.

They have also expressed concern that the salmon could pose risks to other fish if it were to escape into the environment.

The FDA also says that there is an extremely low likelihood of the fish escaping into the wild and mingling with unmodified population because the AquAdvantage fish are farmed in facilities on land in Canada and Panama. The fish would be bred to be female and sterile, so if any did escape, they should not be capable of reproducing. AquAdvantage Salmon was created by the Massachusetts-based company AquaBounty. A few retailers have pledged not to sell the salmon, which has an added gene from the Pacific Chinook salmon that enables the fish to produce more growth hormone and grow faster. The FDA completed an environmental assessment to show that the salmon would not significantly impact the “human environment” in the US.

However, it is unclear whether retailers will want to sell the salmon and whether the public will want to buy it.

Sellers of other salmon may want to label products as being not genetically engineered (GE) if they “want to assist consumers in avoiding confusion about the limited scope of fish products on the market that are genetically engineered”, the FDA said.

AquaBounty says its salmon can grow to market size in half the time of conventional salmon, saving time and resources.

The FDA’s clearance of GMO salmon “will energize people to fight and demand more labeling”, said Michael Hansen, senior staff scientist for the Consumers Union, who opposed the approval.

Target Corp eliminated farm-raised salmon in favour of wild-caught salmon in 2010, which spokeswoman Molly Snyder said was the first step in a long-term commitment to improving the sustainability of our seafood assortment.

Stotish said in an interview that AquaBounty will follow the FDA’s rule for labelling and now “there would be no requirement for labelling”.

The use of genetically engineered animals could revolutionise areas of public health and agriculture, according to advocates.

Joe Perry, former chair of the European Food Safety Authority, said European regulators would require a lot more data than the FDA before giving a similar green light to engineered salmon. I remain committed to ensuring that at minimum, these newly approved Frankenfish are properly labeled so that Americans know exactly where their salmon came from.