Genetically engineered salmon could be ready for harvest as early as March. Still, a growing number of retailers and food service companies have already pledged not to sell it, leaving the fish’s fate in limbo.
According to The Counter, facing pressure from environmentalists and grassroots organizers, Aramark has joined 85 grocery chains, seafood companies, restaurants, and food service companies that have said they will not sell the engineered fish. Aramark provides food service in school cafeterias, universities, hospitals, prisons, and office buildings around the United States.
According to the outlet, genetically modified fish was created in 1989 and approved by the FDA for human consumption in 2015. The bioengineered salmon grow twice as fast as ordinary salmon. And despite its approval, GMO fish faces opposition from both environmental and health activists alike. Studies have shown that shoppers are less likely to buy animal-based GMO products than purchase plant-based GMO products.
“Avoiding potential impacts to wild salmon populations and Indigenous communities, whose livelihoods are deeply connected to and often dependent upon this vital resource, is core to our company’s commitment to making a positive impact on people and the planet,” Aramark said in a corporate memo.
Environmentalists fear that if the engineered salmon were to escape, they could compete with — and overtake — wild salmon. There is also a concern that the salmon’s fish pens could harm natural habitats in proximity to the pens.
The so-called “Frankenfish” faces all this backlash, even though it is not even ready to be sent to market.
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