* FDA to take comments for 60 days before giving final OK
* Critics seek action from Congress, threaten to sue
By Carey Gillam
Dec 21 (Reuters) – A controversial genetically engineered
salmon has moved a step closer to the consumer’s dining table
after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday the fish
didn’t appear likely to pose a threat to the environment or to
humans who eat it.
AquAdvantage salmon eggs would produce fish with the
potential to grow to market size in half the time of
conventional salmon. It would be the first food from a
transgenic animal – one whose genome has been altered – that has
been approved by the FDA.
The AquAdvantage Atlantic salmon egg was developed by
AquaBounty Technology,, to speed up production to meet
global seafood demand.
In a draft environmental assessment Friday, the FDA affirmed
earlier findings that the biotech salmon was not likely to be
harmful. It said it would take comments from the public on its
report for 60 days before making a final decision on approval.
AquaBounty officials said they were caught by surprise by
the FDA’s news that it was a step closer to approval, as years
of controversy had followed the company’s application for the
go-ahead from the regulator.
“We are encouraged that the environmental assessment is
being released and hope the government continues the
science-based regulatory process,” said AquaBounty CEO Ronald
Stotish.
Critics say the new salmon is a “dangerous experiment” and
have pressured FDA to reject the genetically engineered salmon.
They said Friday they may file a lawsuit to prevent what
they fear could be imminent approval of the engineered fish on
the grounds that the FDA has failed to conduct a thorough
assessment and because it wasn’t clear if the fish would pose a
threat to people who eat it or to wild fish.
They were also concerned the FDA wouldn’t require the fish
to be labeled.
“Congress can still keep FDA from unleashing this dangerous
experiment,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food &
Water Watch, a consumer advocacy group. “Although this latest
FDA decision is a blow to consumer confidence, we encourage
everyone to contact their members of Congress and demand this
reckless decision be overturned.”
The Center for Food Safety, another non-profit consumer
protection group, was highly critical of the FDA report, and
officials said they might sue the regulator over the issue.
“It is extremely disappointing that the Obama Administration
continues to push approval of this dangerous and unnecessary
product,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director for Center
for Food Safety. “The GE salmon has no socially redeeming value.
It’s bad for the consumer, bad for the salmon industry and bad
for the environment.”
FDA spokeswoman Morgan Liscinsky said no final decisions had
been made on labeling or on the application for approval.
“The release of these materials is not a decision on whether
food from AquAdvantage Salmon requires additional labeling; nor
is it a decision on the new animal drug application currently
under review. It also does not provide a final food safety
determination,” Liscinsky said.
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)
