Following "rigorous" evaluation, Obama administration allows first genetically altered animal to be sold for consumption in US.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
APRN: In a blow to Alaska’s salmon industry, the Food and Drug Administration announcedthis morning it has approved genetically modified salmon, finding it is as safe to eat as natural salmon. It's the first altered animal approved for human consumption in the United States.
Alaska’s industry and congressional delegation have derided the product as “frankenfish." Critics have tried to keep it off the market, questioning both its safety and its potential to damage wild salmon stocks. The FDA, though, agreed with the Massachusetts-based manufacturer AquaBounty, finding the fish pose little risk to the environment because they would be reared in closed, land-based facilities in Canada and Panama. The U.S. does not require labeling to identify genetically modified food.
The FDA today released draft labeling guidance for manufacturers who choose to label their salmon as genetically engineered or not.