Coming soon to a dinner table near you: "Frankenfish." The Food and Drug Administration has set the wheels in motion for genetically modified salmon to be approved for sale in the near future. The question is, will consumers buy it?
Genetically modified salmon do not taste or look different, according to AquaBounty Technologies. The salmon have a special gene from the Chinook salmon that allows them to grow twice as fast as normal. Additionally, the fish are grown in land-based facilities, so as to limit the environmental impact on coastal areas from fishing. This has the added effect of reducing the carbon footprint generated from shipping fish, since land-based facilities are closer to market.
Since the fish will likely not be required by the FDA to have a special label, consumers will not be aware that their fish are genetically modified.
Proponents of genetically modified foods say that GMOs (genetically modified organisms) hold the key to solving hunger in many parts of the world. As countries struggle globally with famine and malnourishment due to bad crops and other challenges in the food supply, GMOs can help provide a solution to these challenges. Because they are designed with immunity to certain diseases, or to grow in hard conditions, these foods can help to feed populations that struggle with hunger.
Critics include Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), who not surprisingly represent a state with ties to the fishing industry. The process has also apparently been politically influenced, albeit temporarily, due to the controversial nature of the issue.
The FDA's approval is based on the fish having "not have any significant impacts on the quality of the human environment of the United States." If opposition to the fish does not build within the next 60 days, you can expect to see Frankenfish at the supermarket sometime in 2014.
