The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved genetically2 modified salmon3, the first such altered animal allowed for human consumption in the United States.
美国食品药品管理局周四批准了转基因三文鱼被人类食用。批准转基因动物食用在美国尚属首次。
The Obama administration had stalled in approving the fast-growing salmon for more than five years amid consumer concerns about eating genetically modified foods. But the agency said Thursday the fish is safe to eat.
In announcing the approval, the FDA said that there are "no biologically relevant differences in the
nutritional4 profile of AquAdvantage Salmon compared to that of other farm-raised Atlantic salmon."
AquAdvantage Salmon was created by the Massachusetts-based company AquaBounty. Ron Stotish, the company's CEO, said in a statement that the fish is a "game changer that brings healthy and
nutritious5 food to consumers in an environmentally responsible manner without damaging the ocean and other
marine6 habitats."
The fish grows twice as fast as normal salmon, so it reaches market size more quickly. It has an added growth
hormone7 from the Pacific Chinook salmon that allows the fish to produce growth hormone all year long. The engineers were able to keep the hormone active by using another
gene1 from an eel-like fish called an ocean
pout8 that acts like an "on" switch for the hormone. Typical Atlantic salmon produce the growth hormone for only part of the year.
The FDA has also said the fish is unlikely to harm the environment. The fish would be bred female and
sterile9, though a very small percentage might still be able to breed. The company has argued the potential for escape is low.
收听单词发音 
