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House Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Ban GE Salmon

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Washington, DC-based Food & Watch Watch is praising Congress for "uniting" against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's expected approval of genetically-engineered (GE) salmon.

The groups executive director, Wenonah Hauter announced Thursday that a bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced "critical" legislation (H.R. 521) mirroring a Senate bill from the end of January (S. 230) "to keep the first genetically engineered (GE) food animal, AquaBounty Technologies AquaAdvantage salmon, off our plates."

Hauter believes the engineered fish may have "disastrous consumer health and environmental consequences."

"It is significant that Congress is united in taking a strong stand against this risky experiment. Food & Water Watch applauds Representatives Young, DeFazio, Jones, Polis, Stark, and Wu along with Senators Begich, Murkowski and Murray for overcoming party divides to join together in protecting U.S. consumers from this largely untested product."

Sens. Begich and Murkoski introduced legislation last week with a similar goal.

"At least 30 House members and 14 senators have written the Obama administration either expressing serious concerns about the manner in which the FDA conducted its review of Aquabounty's GE salmon, or calling for the outright prohibition of its approval for human consumption," said Hauter. "So why isn't the FDA listening?"

Full post as published by Food Safety News on February 10, 2011 (boomark / email).