FDA says Genetically-Modified Frankenfish Is Safe to Eat
Good news for mutants everywhere: The genetically-modified AquAdvantage® salmon has cleared a major hurdle in its slow migration toward the inside of Americans' stomachs. The FDA says that the AquAdvantage® salmon "is as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon."
Hooray: almost makes us want to throw an oversized AquaBounty AquAdvantage® salmon steak on the fusion-powered grill and watch the dog chase the Roomba around our SuperTurf® vacuum-able lawn surface. But hold onto your dairy-free buttery spread! This is just the beginning of the approval process for the AquAdvantage® salmon, which can grow nearly twice as fast as a normal salmon and would be the first genetically modified animal approved for public consumption.
According to the New York Times, The FDA has declared the salmon healthy in preparation for three days of public meetings about the fish, which start Sept. 19th. It will be another few weeks at least until the FDA makes its final decision, and two or three years until we'll start seeing AquAdvantage® Salmon in our grocery stores if it's approved. Plus, health effects are only one of many concerns about the fish. For example, what if it spontaneously develops a soul?
Power-down the Roomba and go back into your hyperbaric restchamber for a bit, citizen.
[Picture by AP]