Genetically Engineered Fish on FDA's Plate

(June 28) -- Care for some genetically engineered salmon for dinner?

That could be your order if the Food and Drug Administration approves a proposal from a Massachusetts company for the first genetically engineered animal bred for human consumption.

As The New York Times reported, AquaBounty Technologies of Waltham, Mass., is seeking approval of its Atlantic salmon eggs, which it says develop into market-size fish in about half the time as conventional Atlantic salmon.

The company says the faster-growing fish help the environment because they can be farmed close to major cities, reducing transportation costs.

"This is a way to meet the growing global population and the demand for a safe and sustainable seafood product," AquaBounty CEO Ronald Stotish said in an interview today with AOL News.

The company's AquAdvantage salmon eggs develop quicker with the addition of a growth hormone gene from chinook salmon and a genetic regulator from a fish called the ocean pout. The result is fish that reach about 4 to 5 pounds in one and a half to two years instead of three years, Stotish said.

Conventional salmon don't grow much in the year after they're born, Stotish said, but by including the gene and regulating it differently, "you overcome that delay."

"With our fish, most of the benefit is derived by allowing the fish to grow in its first year of life," he said. "You don't get a bigger fish. It just grows faster in that first year of life."

The eggs would grow into sterile females and would be raised in contained systems, and not sea pens, to avoid cross-breeding with wild fish and contamination.

The fish has been around for 20 years, and the company has sought FDA approval for the last decade, Stotish said. "This has been the most studied salmon in history," he added, calling it "absolutely" safe.

The FDA signed off on five on the seven data reports needed to show the fish is safe.

"We remain hopeful," Stotish said. "We've given them high-quality data."

Genetically engineered products are controversial, and part of the debate surrounding the fish proposal would be whether it should be labeled as such. Genetically engineered food must be labeled only if it has a different nutritional makeup than the traditional foods, The New York Times reported. The government has opposed labeling requirements of food from genetically engineered animals and crops just because a genetic change was made, the newspaper said.

The FDA said AquaBounty's proposal is under review but could not comment about the progress of the application. A spokeswoman said a public hearing could be held as early as the fall.

In a statement, the agency's principal deputy commissioner, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, said: "Labeling is one of many issues involved with the review of genetically engineered animals for use in food. As has been publicly reported, the AquAdvantage Salmon is under review by the agency, and as we move forward, we will share information with the public."

The FDA is treating proposals for genetically engineered animals like they were veterinary drugs, and applications for new drugs are kept secret, which has led to criticism, the Times said.

"There is no opportunity for anyone from the outside to see the data or criticize it," Margaret Mellon, director of the food and environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the newspaper.

She said she warned officials that approval of the proposal would create "a firestorm of negative response," the Times said.

Some polls have shown that people are more concerned about genetically engineered animals than they are about genetically engineered crops contained in many foods, the Times said, though other surveys show Americans might accept the new animals if there were environmental or nutritional advantages.

"People are always concerned about something new," Stotish said. "We're hopeful people will consider this."

If approved, the salmon can grow anywhere traditional Atlantic salmon breed and "could be grown almost anywhere" in water that's the right temperature and has adequate oxygen, Stotish says.

"You could grow it close to Denver, close to San Francisco, close to New York, Boston," Stotish said. "You can eliminate the transportation component by growing fish closer to population centers."

Stotish, who has eaten fish grown from his company's eggs, says it is tasty: "Like a very good Atlantic salmon.

"There is no measurable difference in composition, the taste, appearance," he said. "It is truly an Atlantic salmon."