The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved as safe to eat salmon from a Massachusetts-based compay that’s genetically engineered to grow faster.
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AquaBounty said in a statement today that it has won approval for its AquAdvantage salmon, an Atlantic salmon that has been genetically engineered at a plant in P.E.I.to mature more quickly than conventional farmed fish.
Its chief executive Ronald L. Stotish said: “AquAdvantage Salmon 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 modified fish can grow to the size of wild salmon with 75% less feed, reducing the product’s carbon footprint by up to 25 times, AquaBounty claims”, reported The Guardian. Typical Atlantic salmon produce the growth hormone for only part of the year.
The FDA has also said the fish is unlikely to harm the environment. Opponents of the technology have taken advantage of increasing consumer concern about genetically modified foods and have urged several major retailers not to sell it.
According to the lawsuit, “the Canadian government breached its own environmental laws by providing AquaBounty with a far wider permit than it was assessed on, potentially opening the way for other companies to produce GM fish eggs in Canada”.
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To date, it said no genetically modified animal has received approval for human consumption in Canada. Although the potential benefits and profits are huge, many people have qualms about manipulating the genetic code of other living creatures.
