FrankenFood? GM Salmon

Is the food you are eating safe for yourself or your environment? Has it been altered or is it natural? Salmon is one of many foods that have been genetically modified through changes in DNA, RNA, or proteins. Through scientific research, and lots of reviewing by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the debate continues as to whether or not GM Salmon (genetically modified salmon) is truly safe, or needed in our environment.

There is great controversy as scientists have altered the DNA of salmon in order to allow for quicker maturing, and nearly twice the size of the original, unaltered wild salmon. Wild salmon can take up to three years to mature and are not very large in size. Scientists have genetically altered their DNA makeup to speed up this process of maturing and have changed them so that they can become twice as large, allowing for more harvests and more meat to be harvested from each generation of salmon.

Scientists modified the salmon by adding a growth hormone (from a Pacific Chinook salmon) and a promoter (from an Ocean Pout). This has changed the growth rate from three years, or 36 months, to 16-18 months, cutting the growth rate time in half. AquaAdvantage, a company that uses genetically modified salmon to sell in large quantity for the markets keeps the GM salmon separate from the natural, wild fish in order to keep from affecting any other species of fish, or predators. They do this in order to keep the food chain normal, and not alter the wild fish at all. Also, having the GM salmon in a separate place allows for ways to prevent any disasters from being spread to the other fish populations. Also, by keeping these salmon separated in net pens, AquaAdvantage can inform the public that the fish has been modified, so that they know that there is an alteration inside of the fish product.

According to FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the salmon is safe for consumption and safe to the environment, not able to see any problems with allowing the fish to be sold to populations of people for consumption. However, they have not fully approved this GM salmon to be on the market because of the need for further research. If approved, the salmon will be the first genetically modified animal in the U.S. to be approved as a food source.

Resources

"AquAdvantage Salmon." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AquAdvantage_salmon.

"Discovery News." DNews. Discovery, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. http://news.discovery.com/animals/fish-salmon-genetically-modified.htm.

"FDA Quietly Pushes Through Genetically Modified Salmon Over Christmas Break." Infowars FDA Quietly Pushes Through Genetically Modified Salmon Over Christmas Break Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013. http://www.infowars.com/fda-quietly-pushes-through-genetically-modified-salmon-over-christmas-break/.

"FRANKENFOOD! Genetically-Modified Fish About To Reach Your Dinner Table." Now The End Begins. N.p., 24 Dec. 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2013. http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=12680.

 

"Modern Genetics." Modern Genetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013. http://sirens-space.blogspot.com/.