FDA approves first genetically engineered animal, a salmon

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a genetically modified animal for human consumption – a first for the agency.

The AquAdvantage salmon, as it is known, is an Atlantic salmon that has been genetically modified so that it grows to market size faster than a conventionally farmed salmon.

The FDA said on its website, “FDA scientists rigorously evaluated extensive data submitted by the manufacturer, AquaBounty Technologies, and other peer-reviewed data, to assess whether AquAdvantage salmon met the criteria for approval established by law; namely, safety and effectiveness”.

Opponents of genetically engineered salmon worry they could be raised in a way that makes it possible to escape and create environmental problems by competing with native species or interbreeding with other fish.

The decision could set a precedent that allows more genetically-modified animal products into our supermarket, and many fear this genetic tinkering with our food will have disastrous results.

Ron Stotish, AquaBounty’s chief executive, said in a statement that the fish is a “game-changer that brings healthy and nutritious food to consumers in an environmentally responsible manner without damaging the ocean and other marine habitats”.

The new salmon will come from a Canadian company called Aqua Advantage, which will hatch the eggs in Canada, then ship them to Panama to be farmed. The AquAdvantage Salmon is the first genetically enhanced animal to be deemed acceptable for sale in the United States. According to the company’s website, it’s a genetic cross between Atlantic and Chinook breeds. The FDA, however, is not requiring such labeling, which is consistent with the agency’s stance on genetically-modified crops. In the case of the salmon, agency officials said, there were no meaningful differences between the engineered salmon and its conventional counterpart.

After news that the FDA has approved genetically altered salmon, Berkowitz described himself as a “purist at heart” and “until proven otherwise, I’ll remain skeptical as to whether these fish are perfectly OK to eat”. The FDA notes that these physical barriers “make it extremely unlikely that the fish could escape and establish themselves in the wild”, but also points out that it shouldn’t matter too much anyway: AquAdvantage salmon are reproductively sterile.