What Is Genetically Engineered Salmon?
Genetic engineering isn’t new. For thousands of years, humans have used selective breeding to raise crops and livestock with desirable traits. Modern technology now gives scientists — and the industries that employ them — the ability to directly alter the genetic structure of plants and animals. This is done by inserting desirable DNA sequences directly into the genome. This already is done in a large number of vegetable crops. But now a company called AquAdvantage wants to do it in salmon. If the FDA gives the green light, it will be the first genetically engineered animal sold as food. The Atlantic salmon that AquAdvantage would produce are exactly the same as other farmed Atlantic salmon except for one thing. They carry a DNA switch that freezes a growth-hormone gene in the “on” position. This causes overproduction of growth hormone, making the fish grow much faster than normal farmed salmon.
