Photo: gtrwndr87 (flickr)
The Food and Drug Administration is holding public talks from September 19-21, 2010 to discuss the first genetically-engineered animal meant for human consumption.
According to the FDA’s website, Americans consume 180,000 metric tons of Atlantic salmon a year — that’s about 400,000,000 pounds!
One company’s answer to crowded salmon farms and overfishing problems is to supplement U.S. demand by engineering a species of salmon.
The AquAdvantage Salmon was created by AquaBounty Technologies Inc., a biotech company out of Massachusetts. The genetically modified (GM) salmon reach adult-size twice as fast as natural salmon and are sterile, a trait engineered specifically to prevent interbreeding with other species.
The public consultation will last 60 days. Among the topics to be discussed is whether the salmon should be labeled as GM.
If the FDA designate the new variety of salmon safe for consumption, AquAdvantage Salmon could find its way to grocers’ seafood counters within 18 months.
What do you think? is genetically-modified salmon an appropriate way to meet the growing demands of U.S. seafood consumption?