The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave genetically modified salmon its stamp of approval Thursday, marking the first time that an engineered animal has been approved for consumption in the U.S. The salmon, called AquAdvantage, grows twice as fast as natural salmon does:
AquAdvantage, produced by Massachusetts-based AquaBounty, is an Atlantic salmon that contains a growth hormone from a Chinook salmon and has been given a gene from the ocean pout, an eel-like fish. The result is a fish that grows larger and faster than traditional salmon. [The Washington Post]
While regulators maintain that they're sure the fish is safe to eat, the salmon— which was dubbed "Frankenfish" by its critics — has drawn much contention along its swim to approval. Food safety activists, environmental groups, Alaskan lawmakers, and even grocery store chains have been opposed to AquAdvantage's debut on shelves.
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While actually getting AquAdvantage salmon in stores may take several years, the FDA has already said it will not require it to be labeled as genetically engineered.