Earlier this month the FDA sent out a press release inviting people to comment on their new regulations for genetically engineered animals. Basically, genetically modified animals are coming to American tables whether we like it or not, and the FDA has decided that its approach to regulation will be to treat recombinant DNA constructs just as they would new drugs under review for approval.
Genetically modified organisms are already all around us: in crops that grow faster, bigger, in more extreme temperatures, or in ways that resist pests and disease; in pharmaceuticals; in animal testing; and in the production of cheese, bread, beers, and wines. But what the future holds, at least in the eyes of proponents of genetically modified animals, are animals that grow faster, emit less phosphate or methane in their manure, are resistant to diseases like mastitis or mad cow, or have omega-3 fatty acids at levels similar to fish. The first animal to go through the regulatory process will probably be an Atlantic salmon developed in a Massachusetts lab. According to the New York Times, the fish fattens up to market weight in 18 months instead of 30.
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