GMO Frankenfish Not Appetizing to America’s Top Chefs
While consumers still have time to make comments on whether or not the FDA should approve genetically modified fish for commercial sale in the U.S., America’s top chefs are already speaking out against using the engineered salmon.
According to EdibleManhattan.com, “Chefs who say they’ll avoid genetically engineered salmon include Mario Batali, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and David Pasternack.”
AquAdvantage is a genetically engineered salmon developed by AquaBounty Technologies that’s been designed to grow to market size in nearly half the time it takes regular salmon. It includes DNA from another salmon variety as well as an eelpout.
If approved, the fish would be the first genetically engineered animal to enter the food supply, and testing has been slim on the health effects. “I think it’s totally wrong and I am not happy to see this ‘Frankenstein’ kind of salmon, or any fish produced this way, enter the market.” Eric Ripert of seafood temple Le Bernardin said in the article. “We’re testing the first genetically engineered animal on humans, [italics theirs]” said Chef Rick Moonen.
There are also environmental risks of the fish escaping and breeding with non-GMO species. Experts say there’s no way to tell what the impact could be on oceanic ecosystems if that were to happen. EdibleManhattan reports, “AquaBounty’s studies were designed to conceal potential risks, they still show that its AquAdvantage® salmon is less nutritious, more likely to trigger an allergy, and could increase cancer risks by raising levels of IGF-1, a hormone linked to prostate, breast and colon cancers in humans.”
Consumers can submit comments to the FDA by April 26th.
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Image: BrownGuacamole
