Genetically engineered salmon appears to be swimming closer to American dinner plates.
Members of a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel, who wrapped up their hearings Tuesday concerning the fish, “didn’t see any glaring holes” in the research, said a consumer representative of the committee, quoted in The New York Times.
There were, however, some concerns. Although worries about potential allergy problems were discounted, some panel members joined environmental groups in expressing uneasiness that an escape into the wild of the modified salmon — which could endanger wild salmon — would eventually become more likely as more producers enter the business.
The genetically modified salmon is the product of AquaBounty Technologies. The company says that its salmon, which would initially be hatched in Canada and raised in Panama, can grow to full size roughly twice as quickly as in the wild.
According to AquaBounty Chief Executive Robert Stotish, the super-salmon could eventually be grown in inland tanks in the United States, which would cut down on transportation costs. In a nod to environmentalists, Stotish said that the reduced time in birth-to-market would help meeting rising demand for seafood without further decimating natural fisheries.
An FDA decision could be months away. The next step is an environmental assessment. USA Today pointed out that, if the agency approves the sale of the salmon, company officials say it would take two years before the first crop is ready.
