Would You Eat Genetically Engineered Salmon?

This past Friday, the FDA released an analysis that said food from genetically engineered salmon "is as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon," which brings them one step closer to full approval. The fish are grown on a farm in Massachusetts and given a type of growth hormones that, unlike natural hormones in wild salmon, won't "turn off" in cold temperatures, allowing the GE fish to reach their adult weight in almost a year's less time.

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Accordingly, environmentalists and dietitians are beside themselves. And it's easy to grab hold of their opinions and tout them as your own—especially since some of them sound so legitimate. But what do you really think? If the GE salmon are nutritious and cheaper to breed, is the potential environmental damage worth it? Or have we not come far enough with GE food testing to understand the full effects of GE food in general? Get perspective and take a stance.

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AquaBounty: Ronald L. Stotish, the chief executive of AquaBounty, told the New York Times that "the benefit of the fast-growing salmon would be to help supply the world's food needs using fewer resources."

Dieticians: According to The Telegraph, "FDA experts said the altered salmon were "as safe to eat as food from other Atlantic salmon" and that they saw "no biologically relevant differences" in vitamins, minerals or fatty acids."

Environmentalists: According to Food.Change.org, if the fish escape their pens, they could potentially out-compete wild salmon for mates and effectively contaminate the wild salmon gene pool for good. (Reportedly, a small percentage of fish can reproduce, though most are sterile.)

Health Professionals: According to The Telegraph, some tested fish showed a higher-than-normal level of growth hormones in their bloodstream; if consumed by humans, the hormones may cause an increased risk of cancer.

Economists: According to The Telegraph, AquaBounty leapt by 26 per cent on the London Stock Exchange on Friday, indicating that analysts see GM as the future of fish production.