FDA to Weigh In on 'Frankenfish'

Next week, the Food and Drug Administration will hold public hearings on genetically modified salmon and the safety of genetic modification. Aqua Bounty Technologies has developed a method of genetically engineering salmon, one that allows its modified salmon eggs to grow to full-size in about half the time it takes regular salmon to reach its full-size. The company insists that aside from the slight genetic modification, the salmon is the same as regular Atlantic salmon. "Their ability to grow faster does not impact the nutritional or biological make-up of the fish," reads its website. But food safety groups question the salmon's actual safety, and argue that modified fish are more susceptible to the spread of disease vs. natural salmon. Environmental groups also believe that farmed salmon threatens native salmon populations.