Trout with double the usual amount of muscle, pork loaded with
omega-3 fatty acids, and beef from cattle resistant to mad-cow
disease are just a few products from genetically engineered
animals under development in labs around the world.
Now that GE plant products appear in some three-fourths of the
processed food in a typical U.S. grocery store, it's only a
matter of time before GE animal products hit the fridge shelves,
too.
In fact, a Massachusetts company, AquaBounty Techologies,
announced last month that it expects a green light from the Food
and Drug Administration "in the near future." Its product, the
AquAdvantage® salmon, is an Atlantic salmon with introduced
genes from two other fish species that make it grow to
marketable size twice as fast as ordinary Atlantic salmon. If
it's approved, it will probably be the first GE animal out of
the gates.
A little over a year ago, the FDA issued its final guidance on
genetically engineered animals, laying out the process GE
animals will have to go through before they can be brought to
market. The agency says developers must show that the introduced
genetic material is safe for the animals, human consumers, and
the environment. So, all things considered, how long before we
find GE meat on our plates?