US Company Breeds Genetically Modified Salmon for Food

US-based biotechnology company AquaBounty has started breeding genetically modified salmon for human consumption. The salmon’s genes were tweaked to make the fish develop twice as fast as usual. This was done to cut the cost of raising fish. Currently, the modified salmon are being kept in the company’s Indiana facility. Once the fish grow to around 4.5 kilograms in the company's tanks, they are going to be delivered to and served in establishments by 2020. To give the fish the ability to grow faster, the company injected them with DNA from other types of fish. The eggs of the modified salmon were initially held in the company's Canadian facility. They were not shipped to their current location until the company successfully obtained clearance from the US government. When AquaBounty’s salmon got approval, they became the first genetically modified animals to be declared fit for human consumption in America. According to the company, its salmon may first be served in places like restaurants or university cafeterias. It is at the discretion of these establishments whether or not to inform diners that the salmon were genetically modified. Reactions to the idea of serving genetically modified food have always been mixed. Majority of experts defend the idea, saying that changing the DNA of animals is just a faster way of breeding them. Other groups, however, object to the idea. Among them is the non-profit organization Center for Food Safety (CFS), which called on groceries to promise that they will not sell the fish. Some of the country’s retail stores, including Kroger and Whole Foods, also took the pledge.