Many have opposed the recent decision of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve AquAdvantage's genetically-engineered (GE) salmon as safe for human consumption.

According to Huewire, many people are not amenable to GE salmons. Also, some concerned groups have expressed the opinion that consumers should have the right to know whether the product is GE or not.

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Congressmen Mike Thompson (CA-5) and Peter DeFazio (OR-04), and Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Chellie Pingree (ME-01) also supported the call to label all GMO products and provide consumers the proper knowledge about what's in their food.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski has revealed that she intends to block the confirmation of Dr. Robert Califf as a nominee to be the next FDA Commissioner. Murkowski said that the FDA failed to communicate first with other public offices surrounding its announcements to approve GE salmon.

Some major distributors have said that they will not sell the GE salmon. Among wholesalers and retailers that have taken this decision are Hy-Vee, Costco Wholesale Corp., Whole Foods, Aldi, Target, Trader Joe's, Safeway and Kroger.

Costco Wholesale purchases around 600,000 pounds of salmon every week. This means that AquAdvantage has lost a major market of their GE salmons.

According to the Modern Farmer, AquAdvantage's GE salmon, produced by Massachusetts-based AquaBounty Company, is the first GE animal product considered and approved by FDA as safe to eat.

The AquAdvantage GE salmons are Atlantic salmons whose DNA has been mixed with ocean pout fish. When growth hormones from a Chinook salmon is merged, the ocean pout's genes enables the "new and juiced-up Atlantic salmon to grow much faster than it ordinarily would."

Despite the growing opposition of GE salmon, AquAdvantage is positive that the FDA's approval will enable the company to meet the increasing demand of salmon in the market.

TagsAquAdvantage Genetically Modified Salmon, GM Salmon, AquAdvantage, GE Salmon