Genetically Engineered Salmon Approved for Consumption
November 19th, 2015Via: New York Times:
Federal regulators on Thursday approved a genetically engineered salmon as fit for consumption, clearing the way for the first genetically altered animal to reach American supermarkets and dinner tables.
The approval, by the Food and Drug Administration, comes more than five years after agency reviewers made their initial determination that the fish would be safe to eat and for the environment, an unusually long delay.
The salmon has been fiercely opposed by consumer and environmental groups, which have argued that the safety studies were inadequate and that wild salmon populations might be affected if the genetically engineered fish were to escape into the oceans and rivers.
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 conventional farmed salmon. It was developed by AquaBounty Technologies, which is now majority owned by the Intrexon Corporation.
