With apologies for the awful headline pun, we present to you the Frankenfish: genetically modified fish that have no relation to this (unfortunately). The fish in question are farm-grown Atlantic salmon, amped up on growth hormones (from Chinook salmon) that allow them to grow to marketable size at double the natural rate.
The FDA is currently debating whether the salmon should be sold in supermarkets around the country, and things are looking up for the super-fish. “The salmon contains nothing that isn’t in the human diet,” said FDA committee member Kevin Wells.
Naturally, environmentalists and natural food proponents aren’t so keen on the idea. “Seventy-eight percent of adults surveyed don’t want genetically engineered salmon,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch.
Early indications are that the FDA won’t even require special labeling for the suspect salmon. According to the AP, “the FDA agreed with the company, saying there were no biologically relevant differences between the engineered salmon and conventional salmon, and there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will come from its consumption.”
That’s the consumer- corporate-minded FDA for you. Is there not also reasonable certainty that no harm would come from sticking a label on the so-called salmon? To, ya know, let the consumer decide?
So what are consumers saying? The National Post asked readers if they’d eat a fish bigger than they were. Here are some of the results:
- “I will eat anything that tastes good, and doesn’t actually glow in the dark.”
- “The reason not to eat the gigantic salmon is the same one I no longer admire Roger Clemens. The guy was allegedly pumped up with artificial growy stuff. He may have looked the same, pitched the same, and been no more harmful to my health than before, but it was the drugs throwing the ball.”
- “Genetically modified goods are the future of feeding malnourished nations. If we fight them, and keep them from widespread use, we’re as bad as the environmentalists who ended the use of DDT based on techno-phobic false alarms, condemning millions of kids to death by malaria.”
How about you? Would you munch on a Frankenfish?