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Science Friday > Archives > 2000 > May > May 12, 2000: 

Hour One: Biotech Foods Update

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced plans to change the approval process that genetically-modified foods must pass through on their way to market. The changes would require companies to notify the FDA at least 120 days before a genetically-modified product went to market, and would put a greater responsibility on biotechnology companies to present evidence that their products were safe. Providing advance notification and supporting safety evidence is currently voluntary.

The regulatory agency also announced plans to draw up labeling guidelines for bio-engineered foods, although labeling of such foods would not be required.

At the same time, the FDA took pains to say that to date it has seen no safety problems with the genetically-modified food products already on the market. "FDA's scientific review continues to show that all bioengineered foods sold here in the United States today are as safe as their non-bioengineered counterparts," said Jane E. Henney, the FDA Commissioner. We'll talk to Dr. Henney about the proposed changes, and what they may mean for both biotech companies and consumers.

Then, we'll take a look at a side of genetically-modified foods that hasn't had too much attention paid to it. Much of the furor over biotech foods has focussed on the marketing of modified agricultural plants such as corn, soybeans, and rice. But for years, research groups worldwide have been working on developing modified animals as food sources. Since the cloning of Dolly, more public attention has been paid to genetic engineering of animals to produce pharmaceuticals - yet efforts to engineer cows that produce leaner beef, pigs that produce less nitrate-rich waste, and other food animals are in full swing.

One such effort is currently going on in the field of aquaculture. Dozens of research groups around the world are currently working on genetically engineering fish that grow more quickly and more efficiently.

(image: Aqua Bounty Farms)

One such company, Aqua Bounty Farms, has developed genetically-modified trout and salmon that grow 4 to 6 times faster that "normal" fish. The fish produce growth hormone from the Atlantic salmon year-round, and so reach adult size (and are ready for harvest) more quickly. The company says that the speedy-growing fish have the same taste and texture as non-bioengineered species.

Many environmentalists are quite concerned, however, over the risks to the environment that such modified fish might pose. If fish from these experimental aquaculture labs were to escape into the wild, they warn, the more efficient, faster-growing modified fish might easily be able to outcompete natural organisms. A release of engineered fish might also harm the genetic diversity of wild species, through introduction of too many similar genomes.

(image: Aqua Bounty Farms)

Prospective fish farmers are working to develop methods to prevent the possible mixing of genetically modified fish with their wild relatives, including enclosed pools covered with nets and surrounded by electric fences and through efforts to produce sterile fish, yet none of the methods are foolproof. Any proposed sale in the US of genetically-modified fish would first have to be approved by the FDA.

On this hour of Science Friday, we'll talk about the research into producing genetically-modified fish, and about the environmental safety of such efforts. Call in with your questions and comments - our number is 1-800-989-8255.

Listen to this program in RealAudio!

Guests:
Dr. Jane E. Henney
Commissioner
Food and Drug Administration
Rockville, Maryland

Rebecca Goldburg
Senior Scientist
Environmental Defense
New York, New York

William Muir
Professor, Genetics
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana

Elliot Entis
President and Chief Executive Officer
Aqua Bounty Farms
Boston, Massachusetts

Books/Articles Discussed:

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Related Links:
FDA press release: FDA to Strengthen Pre-market review of bioengineered foods

C & E News: article discussing transgenic fish research
Aqua Bounty Farms  

Environmental Defense: "Something Fishy"

Environmental Defense: Environmental Effects of Aquaculture in the United States

 

Purdue Univ: Transgenic fish could threaten wild populations

USDA: Transgenic Fish Research: A Bibliography

FDA: Questions and Answers about Transgenic Fish

Produced By: Annette Heist
Web Producer: Charles Bergquist