If it looks like a duck, acts like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s supposed to be a duck. But what if that duck contained genes injected from two other species of duck to make it grow faster than normal ducks? Is it still a duck to you, or is this getting more complicated than it should?

The FDA is trying to sell us a complicated duck; only it’s a fish – genetically engineered salmon to be exact. While it wouldn’t be available to buy for another three years or so, the FDA could decide to approve it for sale within the next week. The same government agency that brought us tainted peanut butter, e. coli-infested spinach, and salmonella-contaminated eggs is preparing to approve the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption — and for your table. The FDA has shared very little information with the public about GE salmon, but this suspicious fish is headed for approval unless we stop it long enough to ask some critical questions.

Here are five reasons why concerned consumers should tell President Obama to step in and stop the FDA from approving GE salmon:

1. Consumers want safe food, not frankenfood: Instead of committing resources to make sure our food system is safe in the wake of one of the largest recalls in history, the FDA is pushing an unwanted, untested product to market.  FDA has failed us before -- approving drugs for consumers that were eventually found to be dangerous, like Vioxx, and with their current string of recall after recall of contaminated food.

2. Lack of studies on health affects of GE food: There is lack of conclusive evidence that GE salmon is safe for human consumption, especially considering that GE salmon showed statistically significant differences in its composition and nutrition. Shouldn’t the FDA be going out of its way to ensure the safety of something that’s going to be sold and served to people and their families?

3. Consumers don’t want it: More than 60 percent of consumers polled by Consumer Reports National Research Center said they would not buy meat or milk products from GE animals, and 79 percent of consumers said they would not eat GE salmon due to potential health and environmental risks, according to a recent poll conducted by The Washington Post. Why is the FDA pushing something that consumers don’t want?

4. Lack of Transparency: The FDA is treating GE salmon like an animal drug because the DNA added to the genes of the salmon for faster growth (genetic mutation) meets the definition of what a drug might do to an animal. This strategy essentially enables the FDA to approve it behind closed doors because applications for approval of new drugs are kept confidential. There is no way for the public to see detailed data on the product or critique it, unless FDA provides it (after the produce is approved). This should not be acceptable to American consumers — it’s an extraordinary breach of trust.
5. The research is one-sided and lacks independent study on critical food safety issues: The FDA analyzed the direct and indirect impacts of GE salmon on human health using research conducted by the company that developed it — AquaBounty Technologies — or its contractors. Using data supplied by AquaBounty for its risk-assessment is inadequate. Ultimately, there is little data available to consumers about GE salmon, and the little bit there comes from a company with a financial stake in this product being approved.

We are asking Momsrising readers to make their voices heard at this critical time. Recently, we held a press conference and rally in front of the White House while consumers flooded their phone lines with calls. Please join us in this effort and ask the Obama administration to step in stop the FDA from approving GE salmon. We can’t afford to have this experiment masquerading as food for our families. It isn’t sound science and it presents a major food safety risk to consumers.

We have LOTS of questions about GE salmon and FDA should have to answer them NOW before making a decision. Let’s take action now, before FDA takes another step.

-Wenonah Hauter

Executive Director, Food & Water Watch