US: GM Salmon May Go On Sale

Food and Drug administration begins 60-day process to approve animal critics call a ‘frankenfish’

gmo_salmon
A genetically-modified AquAdvantage salmon, top, next to a control salmon of the same age. (AP)

US authorities today began the process to approve the first GM animal for human consumption.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a 60-day period of consultation and public meetings over whether to permit a GM strain of salmon to be eaten by humans, even though it has been called a “frankenfish” by critics. The approval process could take less than a year, and if it gets the green light the fish could be on the market in 18 months.

Environmentalists and scientists see the decision as marking a threshold. If it is approved it is likely to open the door to a large range of GM animals being raised for consumption. If not, scientists say that will have a negative effect on research, in part because there will be no money to be made from it.

Among the considerations by the FDA is whether, if the fish is approved for consumption, it must be labelled as genetically engineered.

GMO Alert: US Attempting Global Censorship of GMO Food Labeling

The AquAdvantage salmon – a modified North Atlantic salmon – has been created by AquaBounty Technologies in Boston, Massachusetts, over 14 years at a cost of $50m. The company says the salmon grows at twice the speed of similar fish, cutting costs for farmers and greatly increasing production.

On its website the company says: “This advancement provides a compelling economic benefit to farmers (reduced growing cycle) as well as enhancing the economic viability of inland operations, thereby diminishing the need for ocean pens.” The fish are also sterile, which the company says would prevent interbreeding with wild salmon.

The genetic modification involves taking a growth hormone gene from a chinook salmon and joining it with a control DNA sequence (called a promoter) from an ocean pout – an eel-like creature from a different family of marine organisms. The growth hormone gene is almost identical to the equivalent gene in the North Atlantic salmon – the sequence differs by just 1% – but it operates differently because of the new control sequence. Unlike in North Atlantic salmon, which produced growth hormone only in the summer, ocean pout control sequence directs the gene to produce hormone all year round.

The genetic mash-up is then injected into the eggs of North Atlantic salmon. Here, it is taken up by the fish’s genome and ultimately the DNA is present in cells throughout the body of the fish. The company uses a different genetic trick to make the fish it proposes to sell to customers sterile to prevent them interbreeding.

The explanation of the genetic modification on the company’s publicity literature, aimed at reassuring the public, makes no mention of the ocean pout gene. “The chinook growth hormone is the same as the Atlantic salmon growth hormone; it is simply regulated differently. Their ability to grow faster does not change the biological make-up of the fish,” the company says.

That appears to contradict the explanation of the technology from AquaBounty’s chief scientific officer, Dr John Buchanan, who said the fish do incorporate DNA from the ocean pout. But he said there was no intention to mislead. “I don’t think it is intentionally hidden. It has been disclosed many times and published in papers,” he said, adding that the description on the website had been simplified to make it less confusing.

Because it is new ground for the FDA there are no regulations about genetically engineered animals and so it is being evaluated as if it were an animal treated with drugs.

The FDA has established an advisory committee of veterinarians to consider the evidence and public views. A public meeting will be held next month.

Among the opponents is the International Salmon Farmers Association which is concerned about the reaction of consumers and that it will undermine the popularity of salmon, which commands high prices in the US.

However, the National Fisheries Institute, a trade association of American seafood producers, backs “the use of biotechnology in the production of genetically-engineered fish” provided it has FDA approval.

If the FDA approves the fish for human consumption, AquaBounty says they will be raised in inland waters to ensure the modified salmon do not enter the oceans.

Chris McGreal in Washington
Wednesday 25 August 2010 21.24 BST

Source: The Guardian

Related information:

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At stake is no less than control of the world’s food supply.

Exposed: the great GM crops myth:

“Genetic modification actually cuts the productivity of crops, an authoritative new study shows, undermining repeated claims that a switch to the controversial technology is needed to solve the growing world food crisis.”

Highly recommended videos:

Life running out of control – Genetically Modified Organisms (!)

The World According to Monsanto – A documentary that Americans won’t ever see. (!)

Obama and Monsanto:

Obama Gives Key Agriculture Post to Lobbyist of CropLife America Whose Members Include Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont and Dow Chemical

Obama Gives ‘Pesticide Lobbyist’ Post as Chief Agricultural Negotiator

Monsanto lobbyists to be placed in charge of food safety by Obama

On CODEX and the agenda of the elite:

Dr. Rima E. Laibow: The Globalist Depopulation Agenda

Dr. Rima E. Laibow on Codex Alimentarius and Food Nazification (!)

Dr. Rima E. Laibow on the Contamination of the Food Supply & Deadly Antibiotics

Codex Alimentarius: Population Control Under the Guise of Consumer Protection

One Nation Under Siege – Full Theatrical Release

Nutricide – Criminalizing Natural Health, Vitamins, and Herbs

2 thoughts on “US: GM Salmon May Go On Sale”

  1. I love Salmon, its healthy and slimming food. I have been looking for better ways to prepare this dish for a while. These days I make sure that the Salmon that I buy is from sustainable fishing sources. Not mentioning Japanese food made with raw Salmon.

    Reply
  2. Raw fish leaves nutrients in tact rather than cooking away. Sustainable? A term made up by the big corporate for selling GMO. Have fun eating all the nuclear fish you want. A little cesium ought to sustain your brain into believing the NWO……. goodluck with S510 and codex alim. Its sad people believe all the drible in the news and what kids are now taught in school.

    Reply

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