Inside Track
FDA Approves Genetically Engineered Salmon
On November 19, the Food and Drug Administration approved genetically modified salmon as safe for human consumption, marking the first time that a genetically altered animal has been approved. The New York Times reported November 19 that the FDA’s approval of the AquaAdvantage genetically modified salmon “caps a long struggle for AquaBounty Technologies, a small company that first approached the FDA about approval in the 1990s.”
The Times reported that the approved salmon “contains a growth hormone gene from the Chinook salmon and a genetic switch from the ocean pout, an eel-like creature, that keeps the transplanted gene continuously active, whereas the salmon’s own growth hormone gene is active only parts of the year.”
The approval came even as two million people filed public comments with the FDA in opposition to the decision, according to a November 19 press release by the Center for Food Safety. Environmental groups opposed the salmon, arguing that wild salmon populations could be negatively impacted if the fish were to escape into oceans and rivers.
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