Biotechnology company, AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. has received regulatory approval in Canada for the sale of its GM salmon which it says is an important step towards commercialisation.
AquAdvantage Salmon has already received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in November 2015, meaning it now has approval for the production, sale and human consumption of the product in both the United States and Canada.
Ron Stotish, chief executive officer of AquaBounty, said: “This was another significant milestone period for us during which AquaBounty took important steps towards the commercialization of our AquAdvantage Salmon.”
“We now have independent scientific reviews and approvals from two of the most respected regulatory agencies in the world that have confirmed the safety of our salmon for human consumption and for the environment.”
He added that the company is making the necessary preparations for the commercial launch of the product which he said would bring sustainably produced salmon to consumers, with the assurance that it is “nutritious, safe and healthy.”
In preparation for commercialisation, the company has purchased an additional facility in Canada to use a brood stock farm to scale up its production capacity. It expects to complete renovations to the site by November 2016 in order to commence egg production.
AquaBounty has also initiated field trials of AquAdvantage Salmon in Brazil and Argentina.
