The AquAdvantage salmon is the first genetically altered food animal approved for sale by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The altered genetic material helps the AquAdvantage salmon grow twice as fast while consuming 10 percent less food.
The FDA says AquAdvantage is just as safe and healthy as other salmon available. However, some researchers are not satisfied with how little information known about health risks associated with genetically
modified organisms (GMOs).
In a press release, the FDA states:
“The 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. The data demonstrated that the inserted genes remained stable over several generations of fish, that food from the GE salmon is safe to eat by humans and animals, that the genetic engineering is safe for the fish, and the salmon meets the sponsor’s claim about faster growth.”
The FDA is not requiring genetically altered salmon to be labeled. Further testing does not find AquAdvantage salmon to have different results than ordinary salmon to require special labeling.
For more information about AquAdvantage salmon and the approval process followed by the FDA, click here.
