[samsamsam]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/1...6T20151119

Quote:

U.S. health regulators on Thursday cleared the way for a type of genetically engineered salmon to be farmed for human consumption in the first-ever such approval for an animal whose DNA has been scientifically modified.

After five years of deliberations, the Food and Drug Administration said it had determined that genetically modified salmon was safe to eat and as nutritious as conventional farm-raised Atlantic salmon, which means the new product will not require special labeling.

Massachusetts-based AquaBounty Technologies developed the salmon by altering its genes so that it would grow faster than farmed salmon, and expects it will take about two more years to reach consumers' plates as it works out distribution. AquaBounty is majority owned by Intrexon Corp, whose shares were up 7.3 percent at $37.55 in afternoon trading.

AquaBounty says its salmon can grow to market size in half the time of conventional salmon, saving time and resources. The fish is essentially Atlantic salmon with a Pacific salmon gene for faster growth and a gene from the eel-like ocean pout that promotes year-round growth.

Activist groups have expressed concerns that genetically modified foods may pose risks to the environment or public health. Several on Thursday that said they would oppose the sale of engineered salmon to the public, while some retailers said they would not carry the fish on store shelves.

Kroger Co, the nation’s largest traditional grocery chain, has “no intention of sourcing or selling genetically engineered salmon,” spokesman Keith Dailey said. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market Inc also confirmed that they do not intend to carry the product.

Target Corp eliminated farm-raised salmon in favor of wild-caught salmon in 2010, which spokeswoman Molly Snyder said was the first step in a long-term commitment to improving the sustainability of our seafood assortment. "We are not currently planning to offer genetically engineered salmon," Snyder said.

AquaBounty Chief Executive Ronald Stotish said the approval is "a game-changer that brings healthy and nutritious food to consumers in an environmentally responsible manner without damaging the ocean and other marine habitats."

The approval for the fish, to be sold under the AquAdvantage brand, requires that the salmon be raised only in two designated land-based and contained hatcheries in Canada and Panama, and not in the United States. All of the fish will be female, and reproductively sterile, to prevent inadvertent breeding of the genetically modified fish with wild salmon, FDA officials said.

The agency on Thursday also issued draft guidelines on how food manufacturers could identify whether the salmon in their products are genetically modified. The guidelines state that such labeling would be voluntary.

Stotish said in an interview that AquaBounty will follow the FDA’s rule for labeling and currently “there would be no requirement for labeling."

"Frankly, it’s an area that we don't have to address today,” he said.

CREDIBLE EVIDENCE

Dr. William Muir, a professor of genetics at Purdue University who had urged the government to approve the salmon, said there is "no credible evidence" that these genetically modified fish are a risk to either human health or the environment.

"The current practice of using wild-caught salmon as a food source is not sustainable, our oceans are overfished," Muir said.

Muir was among 80 scientists and biotech industry executives who in 2014 sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking for administration support for this approval.

AquaBounty's salmon was originally developed as a fast-growing variety by a group of Canadian public university scientists over a quarter of a century ago, and the company has been trying to get regulatory approval for almost two decades, said Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam of the University of California, Davis, who served on the 2010 FDA Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee which looked at the AquaBounty salmon.

She called the FDA's five-year decision-making process on the fish "unprecedented" and said the approval was "long overdue." FDA policy analyst Laura Epstein told reporters that because the approval was the first of its kind, the agency wanted "to get everything right" and offer many opportunities for public comment.

Joe Perry, former chair of the European Food Safety Authority, said European regulators would require a lot more data than the FDA before giving a similar green light to engineered salmon.

U.S. consumer and environmental groups also renewed their opposition to the product.

Patty Lovera, assistant director for Food & Water Watch, said the group is talking to members of Congress about rolling back the FDA approval. The group is also considering a lawsuit to block genetically modified salmon from reaching the market.

Activist group Friends of the Earth estimates that at least 35 other species of genetically engineered fish, along with chickens, pigs and cows, are under development. The FDA's decision on salmon may set a precedent that could make approval for other genetically modified animal species easier.

FDA officials would not comment on whether it has received any other applications for genetically modified animals.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen and Tom Polansek in Chicago, additional reporting by Nandita Bose in Chicago and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Michele Gershberg, Christian Plumb and Jonathan Oatis)

[Geomann180]

Do they serve it here?



G

[Curious]

There is no way I will consume it over wild caught fish.
Now will have to avoid all farm raised salmon, as there is no labeling required for this frankenfish.

I don't want to be a guinea pig for genetic engineering industry. There is no evidence on how it will affect consumers or their next generations, so why don't FDA employees test it on themselves first.

I also think that it's violation of consumer rights to hide such an important piece of information and not to label GM products.

[Veloce]

(11-19-2015 04:03 PM)Curious Wrote:  

There is no way I will consume it over wild caught fish.
Now will have to avoid all farm raised salmon, as there is no labeling required for this frankenfish.

This is the stuff you want:
http://orakingsalmon.co.nz/

I've used it in several past restaurants. It's absolutely top notch.

Wild is great but it's a very inconsistent product. There's nothing better than peak-of-the-season wild salmon but for other times of the year the Ora King is a great product.

[kaotic]

FUCK that, I've always eaten wild salmon, or sockeye wild salmon.

Most people don't realize they die the salmon you buy in stores also.

[BortimusPrime]

Farm-raised sucked in the first place. I grill copper river sockeye while its in season and then don't bother with salmon the rest of the year.

[Durango]

Kind of reminds me of this:

https://youtu.be/GL9nB002k5U?t=1742

[zigZag]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that this is good news. This will mean a higher output for farm raised salmon which means lower prices, lower feed costs. The reality is that we all want to eat wild caught salmon but there is only so much supply for the demand. This means lower prices, larger economies of scale.

Also Genetically modified species aren't inherently dangerous.

[Factory Air]

Salmon Confidential, Documentary About Salmon Farms in Canada & Diseased Salmon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTCQ2IA_...L&index=41

[Simeon_Strangelight]

As usual - they will certainly find some added benefits like rising cancer rates etc as with most other GMOs.

And it's not even that I am opposed to genetic modification. I am 100% certain that positive tweaks can be attained, but I certainly don't trust Monsanto & Co with their current track-record. Their products are crap and seem to have other goals in addition to centralizing food industry in their hands.

[realologist]

Hey guys,

I got that fresh just off the genetic engineering press salmon. This is the best quality there is. High protein, omega-3 fatty acids. This is the BEST.

Here is a sample



If you would like an order of fillets feel free to contact me.

[Oz.]

This reminds of all the trendy girls trying to be healthy eating a salmon salad

[Simeon_Strangelight]

Instagram dick-squatters will be like: "Salmonphilia - only with organic salmons! I don't do GMO-salmon - I am a good girl."