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Mar 16, 2019

FDA approval of GE salmon paves way for sustainable food innovations

Earlier this week, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) finally approved the sale of genetically engineered (GE) AquAdvantage salmon in U.S. markets. The fish – produced by Massachusetts-based AquaBounty – is based on more than two decades of scientific research, making it the most studied line of Atlantic salmon.

It was the first GE animal deemed safe to eat by FDA after a 2015 agency review found that AquAdvantage salmon is not materially different from other Atlantic salmon and is just as safe and nutritious as non-GE salmon. In Canada, the salmon has been ordered and consumed by the tons since 2016. While FDA approval was long overdue, this milestone paves the way for future innovations that contribute to a more sustainable food supply.

Via Biology Fortified:

The regulatory process may have been lengthy, but one benefit is that we can be confident that the salmon is safe to eat and safe for the environment. We have two independent sets of regulatory processes to consider, one in Canada and one in the United States. While there are similarities in what the regulatory agencies are looking for, the laws and regulations were developed independently and the people in the agencies themselves are different, under different types of internal and external influences. The agencies in both the United States and Canada independently found fast-growing genetically engineered salmon to be safe to eat and safe for the environment. Read the article.