FDA Approves Genetically Modified Salmon for Consumption

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved genetically modified salmon for consumption after five years of stalling by the Obama administration.

According to the FDA, there were "no biologically relevant differences in the nutritional profile of AquAdvantage Salmon compared to that of other farm-raised Atlantic salmon." The approval comes at a time when consumers have been voicing their concerns over eating GMO food products.

AquAdvantage salmon can be advantageous for the market since it grows in half the time as normal salmon due to an added growth hormone gene that can be found in the Pacific Chinook salmon.

In AquAdvantage salmon, scientists were able keep the growth hormone active for a longer period of time with the help of a gene taken from the ocean pout, which is a fish that resembles an eel. In normal Atlantic salmon, the growth hormone is only produced during a specific time of the year.

The FDA added that AquAdvantage salmon, which will be the first GMO food animal, does not pose a threat to the environment. The agency said that the majority of the fish will be female and sterile. However, a small number of the fish will be able to breed in containment structures that will reduce the likelihood of escape.

"Multiple containment measures the company will use in the land-based facilities in Panama and Canada make it extremely unlikely that the fish could escape and establish themselves in the wild," a statement read.

AquAdvantage Salmon is produced by AquaBounty Technologies, which is a biotechnology company based in Massachusetts.

AquaBounty CEO Ronald Stotish stated that this salmon 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," Yahoo! News reported.

The company noted that the U.S. imports about 95 percent of the Atlantic salmon that Americans consume.

Companies will not be legally forced to label all GMO salmon products. In order to make sure that the salmon is not genetically modified, consumers will have to look for the wild-caught variety.

Although the fish is considered safe, several retailers have already pledged that they will not be selling the fish. It is unclear whether or not the fish will be a popular choice among consumers.