August 31, 2010

US to complete review of transgenic salmon

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that its review of the genetically modified (GM) salmon for consumption developed by AquaBounty Technologies Inc is nearly finished.

US officials have published details of the last stages of review for AquAdvantage Salmon, which is raised from eggs grown in a Prince Edward Island (PEI) hatchery. The fish grow at double the normal rate.

Massachusetts-based AquaBounty runs in PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and has been attempting to receive approval for a decade to become the first producer of a GM animal for consumption.

The FDA's special veterinary medicine committee will convene in September to judge issues of animal health, food safety, environmental concerns and data on the claim that AquAdvantage Salmon grow faster than conventionally-bred salmon. If the GM fish is approved in the next few months, the FDA's Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition will lead a public hearing to discuss legal issues about labelling, according to reports.

Meanwhile, AquaBounty has begun the process to obtain approval from Health Canada to sell its GM Atlantic salmon north of the US. The firm's PEI hatchery employs technology created by scientists at Memorial University backed by Canadian granting councils.

However, some worry GM fish would endanger wild stocks. One concern is that sexually-reproducing transgenic salmon released into the wild could breed and extinguish wild stocks, according to reports.