'Frankenfish on the Menu? FDA Gives Initial Approval Marc LallanillaDate: 26 December 2012 Time: 11:16 AM ET
Genetically modified Atlantic salmon -- known by critics as "Frankenfish" -- may soon be available in your local grocer's seafood aisle. The Food and Drug Administration has given initial approval to the biotech developers of the salmon, clearing the last big hurdle before consumers can purchase the fish.
But consumers won't know if the salmon they're buying is genetically engineered or not -- U.S. regulations don't require food made from a genetically modified organism (GMO) to be labeled. That fact, plus the impact the engineered salmon could have on wild salmon stocks, human health and the fishing industry, has critics raising a stink with the FDA, according to the Huffington Post.
The Atlantic salmon developed by Massachusetts-based AquaBounty was genetically modified using DNA material from a Chinook salmon and an eel-like species called an ocean pout. These genes cause the fish to grow twice as fast as wild salmon, according to the British newspaper The Telegraph, making production of the fish far more cost effective.
Though many other GMO foods are now available -- from papaya engineered to resist the ringspot virus to canola plants that can withstand weed-killing herbicides -- the FDA's approval marks the first time a genetically engineered animal product would be available anywhere in the world.
The FDA's approval last week is followed by a 60-day period for public commentary on the engineered salmon: After the comments are reviewed, the agency can issue its final approval in early 2013.
Opponents of GMO foods fear the salmon -- marketed as the AquAdvantage salmon -- could escape into the wild and undermine the genetics of wild Atlantic salmon. Other critics question its potential impact on human health (including allergic reactions to eating the fish) and raise ethical issues whenever scientists tinker with the genetic code of animals.
But officials at AquaBounty stress that only sterile females would be raised on inland fish farms, rendering concerns about breeding with wild fish stocks moot. Additionally, because the GMO salmon are faster and easier to raise and distribute, their production would have a smaller carbon footprint and a net environmental benefit.
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glm1111
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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Horrible!!! Good find sparkle. I guess the answer is don't eat salmon. When are they going to stop poisoning our food??? Thanks for posting,
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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lpkayak
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i wasnt going to give christmas presents this year but when i ran into bed bath and beyond (to use the bathroom) i saw popcorn that said: "amish country popcorn non gmo all natural 100%whole grain"
so i got 4. it will be ez to send to kids thru the mail. i hope it really is non gmo i know the word natural doesnt really mean much anymore
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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Tammy N.
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Another reason to only eat "wild caught".
I really hate what they are doing to our food supply.
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sparkle7
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If they release it into the wild, they will outpace the non-GMO fish... I think this is what I read. They are like twice the size. How will anyone know what they are catching or eating?
Mike Adams gave a recipie for faux salmon made from chickpeas...
Healthy, vegan alternatives to GE salmon
Chickpeas have been hailed by vegans everywhere for their ability to mimic fish, making them an excellent addition to faux fish salads. Chickpeas provide considerable amounts of protein, slow release carbohydrates, folate and zinc.
A delicious vegan "salmon" dish can be prepared by mixing grated carrots, mashed chickpeas, white vinegar, tomatoes, finely grated lemon peel, lemon juice, dill, vegetable oil and a pinch of salt. The mixture can either be consumed raw, or divided into patties and baked for about 25 minutes. For added flavor, vegan "salmon" can be topped with vegan mayonnaise or grated horseradish.
When choosing salmon as a means to obtain healthy fats, many may want to consider chia instead. With 724 mg of Omega-3's in 28 grams of salmon, and 4915 mg in 28 grams of chia, chia is a clear winner.
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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posted
- Nice links, Sparkle. Thanks. Mike Adams' Natural News site is one of the best on the web.
WILD Pacific Salmon is excellent, or the term Tammy posted "Wild Caught".
Be sure of the supplier, etc. and that they test for safety (regarding any after-effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster).
But, sadly, all the plastic trash in all the oceans is also winding up in stomachs - and even the bits of plastic in fish flesh - of all kinds of fish. There's no telling the effects of this.
But don't stop eatnig fish. There are still some safe options for WILD fish.
For Sardines: Wild Planet is a good, safe source. My brain and body do so well with these for breakfast at least twice a week.
While we can get some of the nutrients in other excellent foods, it's good to eat a wide variety. It's not just the omega fats in fish that help us, it's the whole package of the fish, too.
Best protein I've found. I feel better with wild salmon than with any other foods - any other, ever. That bright pink fish is amazing in so many ways. I hope we can protect them.
And just as we should avoid GM fish, we should also avoid all other GM foods. They all can have disasterous effects on a human body.
Consuming animals that have been given GM feed can also hurt us in serious ways. Big Sigh! -
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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posted
- Be sure to see the new film "GM Roulette" - in this set:
GMO foods that destroy the GI Tract, etc. -
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sparkle7
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Yes, all of this is bad news. I'm looking into superfoods more these days. It's hard to avoid all the bizarre stuff they are doing to food.
I'm just finding it hard to wrap my head around all of this "stuff". We had a beautiful planet with everything that we needed. The more I study about plants & natural remedies... Some people obviously made decisions that are going to effect all life on the planet. The decisions that they made are not reversable & stupid.
We have to be aware but I don't know what we can do. I think we have to change the way we eat & look at food. It's a shame...
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Razzle
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Tell the FDA: No Frankenfish!
Obama Clears the Way for Approval of First Genetically Engineered Animal
Take a little DNA from a Chinook salmon, and a little growth hormone from an eel-like creature called an ocean pout, and what do you get?
A frankenfish that grows twice as fast as wild salmon - and just as rapidly grows the profits of a biotech company called AquaBounty Technologies.
In a last-minute holiday gift to yet another biotech company that wants to play god with our food, the Obama administration has cleared the way for the FDA to soon approve the first genetically modified salmon.
Bad idea, says the Consumers Union, the advocacy and policy arm of Consumer Reports, which called the Environmental Assessment (EA) of the proposed frankenfish "flawed and inadequate."
The FDA is expected to approve AquaBounty's frankenfish after a 60-day public comment period - unless consumers, activists and common sense prevail. Here are the three top reasons to tell the FDA "NO FRANKENFISH":
1. Harmful to human health: FDA has allowed this fish to move forward based on tests of allergenicity of only six engineered fish-tests that
actually did show an increase in allergy-causing potential, according to Michael Hansen PhD, Senior Scientist with Consumers Union.
2. Harmful to wild salmon population: Only 95% of the GE salmon may be sterile, and the rest fertile.
Even 1% equals thousands of fish. Plus the fish at the egg production facility in Prince Edward Island, Canada, will not be sterile.
All it takes is for some of these frankenfish to escape, and the world's wild salmon population will be at risk.
3. Not Labeled: Without GMO labeling laws, you'll have no way to avoid the frankenfish that will end up in grocery stores and fish markets.
It's going to take hundreds of thousands of us telling the FDA "NO FRANKENFISH" in order to have an impact. Please make your voice heard today!
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