After conducting a comprehensive review, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved genetically engineered (GE) animal AquAdvantage Salmon for human consumption.
The agency is also releasing two guidelines for food manufacturers who intend to label their products containing ingredients from GE or non-GE sources. These comprise of a draft guideline which offers rules for labeling foods derived from Atlantic salmon and a final guidance on foods derived from GE plants.
The FDA has approved the AquaBounty Technologies' application for AquAdvantage Salmon, an Atlantic salmon after a comprehensive scientific study and review. Among the requirements that the company had to meet included are that the food sourced from fish were safe for human consumption, the rDNA structure, which is the piece of DNA that makes the salmon grow faster, is safe for the fish, and the AquAdvantage Salmon meets the claims of the company about fast growth.
FDA also required the AquAdvantage Salmon is as safe and as nutritious as other non-GE Atlantic salmon. The requirement also entailed that there was no biological variance in the nutritional profile of AquAdvantage Salmon as compared to the farm-grown Atlantic salmon.
However, it must be noted that the approval does not entail that the AquAdvantage Salmon be bred or raised in the US. Moreover, no other facility or location in the US or elsewhere have permission to breed or raise AquAdvantage Salmon intended to be marketed as food for the US consumers.
The agency also undertook an environmental assessment as required by the National Environmental Policy Act to be assured of the human environmental effects in the US if the approval is granted.
The FDA will also monitor the production and facilities, and will conduct regular inspections to ensure that all food safety parameters are met. Additionally, the Canadian and Panamanian governments will also be inspecting the facilities.
Image: FDA approves use of genetically engineered salmon. Photo: Courtesy of smokedsalmon/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.