The FDA just approved an application for the first genetically modified animal intended for food, AquAdvantage Salmon. Through added recombinant DNA (rDNA) the Atlantic salmon reaches market size more quickly than non-GE, farm-raised Atlantic salmon, and therefore, qualifies as a drug under the new animal drug provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinarian Medicine said, “The FDA has thoroughly analyzed and evaluated the data and information submitted by AquaBounty Technologies regarding AquAdvantage Salmon and have determined that they have met the regulatory requirements for approval, including that food from the fish is safe to eat.”
There were three requirements for approval.
- The food from the fish was safe to eat
- The rDNA is safe for the fish itself
- The rDNA actually made the fish grow faster
The FDA also found the GE salmon was as safe and nutritious as non GE salmon since there are no biologically-relevant differences in their nutritional profile.
The genetically modified salmon can only be raised in land-based, contained hatchery tanks in two specific facilities in Canada and Panama and nowhere else right now. Steps have been taken according to the National Environmental Policy Act to ensure there would be no significant environmental impact. These steps include ways to keep the fish from escaping their enclosure in addition to the fact that the fish are reproductively sterile and couldn’t establish themselves in the wild. The FDA will continue to monitor the situation.
The FDA also released guidelines for companies that would like to voluntarily label genetically modified products.
