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Late last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AquAdvantage salmon—the first edible genetically engineered animal to earn such an approval. The salmon, produced by AquaBounty Technologies, are genetically engineered (GE) with DNA that causes them to grow to market size much faster than other salmon. And while many advocates have shown concern over the fish in recent years, the FDA has declared it safe to eat.
The AquAdvantage salmon will only be raised in contained, inland facilities in Panama, from eggs produced in Canada. Once harvested, they will be imported for sale in the U.S. But exactly when they could show up on store shelves remains uncertain. “It is too early to discuss commercialization plans, but there are several paths to market that are being considered,” AquaBounty spokesperson Dave Conley told Civil Eats.
When the GE salmon does reach consumer audiences, will consumers be able to identify it? Probably not.
According to the “voluntary guidelines for GMO labeling” the FDA proposed when they approved the salmon last week, that decision will be left entirely up to the companies selling the fish. In their guidelines the FDA is suggesting—not requiring—that manufacturers “should consider” keeping records documenting whether or not their product is genetically engineered. The agency has also proposed that if companies do opt to label the salmon, the labels they use must meet existing FDA rules that manufacturers’ claims are “truthful and not misleading.”
When it comes to fresh or frozen fish, eagle-eyed shoppers will, however, have a few clues with which to work. Because the AquAdvantage salmon will be raised in Panama, it will have to carry the country-of-origin (COOL) label required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These rules also require imported fish sold by retailers to be labeled as “farm-raised” or “wild caught.” So if shoppers see “farm-raised” and “Product of Panama” all on one package, the salmon could well be genetically engineered by AquaBounty.
Right now, Center for Food Safety policy analyst Jaydee Hanson says, “no other salmon is being raised commercially in Panama.” But there’s no guarantee that will remain the case.
Fish that has been processed—cooked or combined with other ingredients in a product like a frozen entrée with sauce or a salmon burger—has another set of labeling rules entirely. Salmon in these forms are exempt from COOL requirements. So are restaurants and what the USDA calls “food service establishments,” like cafeterias. The agency explains that while restaurant suppliers must make country-of-origin information and farmed or wild caught information “available” to their buyers, the restaurants themselves are not required to share this information with their customers.
Either way, if the FDA’s proposed voluntary labeling guidelines are approved, Just Label It executive director Scott Faber says, “consumers will have no way of knowing whether the salmon they are buying comes from nature or from a lab.”
Is GE Salmon an “Animal Drug”?
On a technical note, AquaBounty’s salmon was approved through legal maneuvering under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that has allowed the GE salmon to be approved as an “animal drug.” And it turns out, this could further obscure what the public knows about GE fish—or other GE food animals that may eventually be approved.
“Lawyers at FDA figured out they could use the definition of a drug in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, [which says] a drug involves any substance that is intended to change the structure or function of an organism,” Dartmouth College professor of environmental studies and Union of Concerned Scientists board chair Anne Kapuscinski explained to Civil Eats. “They said, ‘we could stretch that to cover the transgene inserted into an animal whose intent is to change the function of the organism.’”
Why does this matter to general public? Because the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act “requires the FDA to keep the entire drug application process secret unless the applicant wants to make it public,” Kapuscinski explained. In the case of the AquaBounty GE salmon, the process was made public, but “that doesn’t mean others will be,” she said.
Of course, retailers’ willingness is another important piece of the puzzle. Several including Costco, Safeway, and Kroger have said they have no plans to sell the AquAdvantage salmon. Other supermarket chains and retailers, including Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi have made similar announcements. Last week, Walmart—a likely candidate—said it was too busy with “Black Friday” planning to comment.
Advocates are also concerned about the precedent this approval sets. Although the U.S. is the first nation to approve the salmon, Food and Water Watch’s Lovera says, “We’re very concerned about foreign markets. A lot of people take the FDA as a green-light.”
http://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/2015/11/29/gmo-salmon-is-coming-to-a-store-near-you-will-you-know-when-it-arrives/
Late last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AquAdvantage salmon—the first edible genetically engineered animal to earn such an approval. The salmon, produced by AquaBounty Technologies, are genetically engineered (GE) with DNA that causes them to grow to market size much faster than other salmon. And while many advocates have shown concern over the fish in recent years, the FDA has declared it safe to eat.
The AquAdvantage salmon will only be raised in contained, inland facilities in Panama, from eggs produced in Canada. Once harvested, they will be imported for sale in the U.S. But exactly when they could show up on store shelves remains uncertain. “It is too early to discuss commercialization plans, but there are several paths to market that are being considered,” AquaBounty spokesperson Dave Conley told Civil Eats.
When the GE salmon does reach consumer audiences, will consumers be able to identify it? Probably not.
According to the “voluntary guidelines for GMO labeling” the FDA proposed when they approved the salmon last week, that decision will be left entirely up to the companies selling the fish. In their guidelines the FDA is suggesting—not requiring—that manufacturers “should consider” keeping records documenting whether or not their product is genetically engineered. The agency has also proposed that if companies do opt to label the salmon, the labels they use must meet existing FDA rules that manufacturers’ claims are “truthful and not misleading.”
When it comes to fresh or frozen fish, eagle-eyed shoppers will, however, have a few clues with which to work. Because the AquAdvantage salmon will be raised in Panama, it will have to carry the country-of-origin (COOL) label required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These rules also require imported fish sold by retailers to be labeled as “farm-raised” or “wild caught.” So if shoppers see “farm-raised” and “Product of Panama” all on one package, the salmon could well be genetically engineered by AquaBounty.
Right now, Center for Food Safety policy analyst Jaydee Hanson says, “no other salmon is being raised commercially in Panama.” But there’s no guarantee that will remain the case.
Fish that has been processed—cooked or combined with other ingredients in a product like a frozen entrée with sauce or a salmon burger—has another set of labeling rules entirely. Salmon in these forms are exempt from COOL requirements. So are restaurants and what the USDA calls “food service establishments,” like cafeterias. The agency explains that while restaurant suppliers must make country-of-origin information and farmed or wild caught information “available” to their buyers, the restaurants themselves are not required to share this information with their customers.
Either way, if the FDA’s proposed voluntary labeling guidelines are approved, Just Label It executive director Scott Faber says, “consumers will have no way of knowing whether the salmon they are buying comes from nature or from a lab.”
Is GE Salmon an “Animal Drug”?
On a technical note, AquaBounty’s salmon was approved through legal maneuvering under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that has allowed the GE salmon to be approved as an “animal drug.” And it turns out, this could further obscure what the public knows about GE fish—or other GE food animals that may eventually be approved.
“Lawyers at FDA figured out they could use the definition of a drug in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, [which says] a drug involves any substance that is intended to change the structure or function of an organism,” Dartmouth College professor of environmental studies and Union of Concerned Scientists board chair Anne Kapuscinski explained to Civil Eats. “They said, ‘we could stretch that to cover the transgene inserted into an animal whose intent is to change the function of the organism.’”
Why does this matter to general public? Because the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act “requires the FDA to keep the entire drug application process secret unless the applicant wants to make it public,” Kapuscinski explained. In the case of the AquaBounty GE salmon, the process was made public, but “that doesn’t mean others will be,” she said.
Of course, retailers’ willingness is another important piece of the puzzle. Several including Costco, Safeway, and Kroger have said they have no plans to sell the AquAdvantage salmon. Other supermarket chains and retailers, including Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi have made similar announcements. Last week, Walmart—a likely candidate—said it was too busy with “Black Friday” planning to comment.
Advocates are also concerned about the precedent this approval sets. Although the U.S. is the first nation to approve the salmon, Food and Water Watch’s Lovera says, “We’re very concerned about foreign markets. A lot of people take the FDA as a green-light.”
http://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/2015/11/29/gmo-salmon-is-coming-to-a-store-near-you-will-you-know-when-it-arrives/