The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given preliminary approval to genetically engineered salmon for human consumption. Massachusetts-based AquaBounty Technologies has inserted a gene from the Pacific Salmon into the Atlantic salmon to make the Atlantic variety grow twice as fast on 25 percent less food. The FDA says there is no biological difference and the genetically engineered salmon is as safe to eat as regular Atlantic salmon.
FDA will conduct a public meeting on September 19th and 20th to discuss whether the fish should be allowed to be sold in U.S. markets. AquaBounty has filed an environmental assessment outlining the steps taken to assure the farm-raised fish does not escape into the wild. That assessment puts the chance for escape at less than 1 percent and the chance of the GE fish spreading should it escape substantially less than that.
More details from FDA here:
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