Is the Genetically Modified Salmon Safe? FDA to Rule on Frankenfish. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold public hearings next week to determine the safety of a genetically-modified salmon after critics – who dubbed the salmon as FrankenFish – asserted that it is not safe for consumption.
An earlier FDA evaluation concluded that Aqua Bounty Technologies’ salmon – grow into full-size salmon in half the time it takes regular salmon – is safe for human consumption. The company made use of salmon eggs which has growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon that enables the fish to grow quickly.
More than 30 organizations, including the Center for Food Safety in Washington DC and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, issued a statement urging the FDA not to approve the eggs used by the company.
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine stated that all genetically engineered foods, like the Aqua Bounty Technologies salmon, pose health risks such as aging, infertility, and immune system dysfunction.
On the other hand, Aqua Bounty Technologies asserts that its genetically modified salmon does not contain toxins that may cause the said health risks.
Meanwhile, Center for Food Safety policy analyst Jaydee Hanson criticized the FDA saying that the studies that led to its initial evaluation – which held that the company’s evidence and methods are acceptable – are actually inadequate to make any conclusion. If the FDA approves the eggs, Aqua Bounty Technologies would be the first company to produce transgenic animal that will be used as food in the US.