The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold public meetings on "AquAdvantage, a genetically engineered (GE) Atlantic salmon intended to be used for food" on September 19-21, 2010.
According to the FDA announcement, on September 19-20, the Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee will "address science-based issues associated with AquaBounty Technologies application." The Committee will learn about the technology of producing GE animals and the FDA's regulatory process. The FDA will also "present information on animal health, food safety, environmental concerns, and data supporting the claim that AquAdvantage grow faster than conventionally bred Atlantic salmon." These meeting are open to the public.
FDA will hold a public hearing on September 21 to present the legal principles for food labeling and give the public an opportunity to comment on the "application of the relevant food labeling principles to foods that might be made from AquAdvantage Salmon" For more information on the FDA Meetings, click here.
The possibility of GE salmon for human consumption has caused some debate, according to CNN. If approved, it would be "the first genetically modified animal permitted by the food safety agency." The salmon is injected with growth hormones that enable them to "reach maturity in half the normal growth time, 16-18 months rather than 30 months."
The FDA released a Briefing Packet concluding that "the food from AquAdvantage Salmon ... is as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon and that there is a reasonable certainty of no harm from the consumption of food from this animal." For the full Briefing Packet, click here.
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food Safety and Water Watch, said that the possible risks have not been properly assessed and there should be an extended time period to throughly analyze the risks associated with this product.
To read the CNN story, click here.
Posted: 09/13/2010
