US FDA staff: Biotech salmon safe for eating

A biotechnology company's genetically engineered salmon are as safe to eat as other Atlantic salmon, US regulators said as they weighed approval of the first DNA-altered animal for Americans' dinner plates. The AquAdvantage salmon, developed by Aqua Bounty Technologies Inc, are genetically modified to grow twice as fast as conventional Atlantic salmon. Environmental and food-safety critics plan to fight against approval.

The success of the salmon is crucial to Aqua Bounty, a small company that has staked its future on the technology. The company's shares rose 26 percent on Friday after the positive comments from US regulators. The Food and Drug Administration has set a three-day public meeting starting Sept. 19 on the DNA-altered fish, which could lead the way for biotech trout and tilapia. In a preliminary analysis prepared for the meeting, FDA staff said the altered salmon were "as safe to eat as food from other Atlantic salmon." The agency said it saw "no biologically relevant differences" in vitamins, minerals or fatty acids.