The FDA has given the go-ahead for bioengineered cattle to be used for meat for the first time.
The FDA made what’s called a “low-risk determination” that the offspring of two genome-edited beef cattle can be used for food. The cattle were bioengineered to have short hair, known as a “slick coat,” which helps the animals endure hot weather.
“The product developer plans to use the genetic products from these two animals with select customers in the global market soon and anticipates meat products will be available for purchase by general consumers as early as two years,” the FDA said in a release.
The determination was issued at the request of Acceligen, a company specializing in what it calls “precision breeding.”
"Today's decision underscores our commitment to using a risk and science-based, data-driven process that focuses on safety to the animals containing intentional genomic alterations and safety to the people who eat the food produced by these animals," Steven Solomon, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in the FDA’s statement.
