FDA approval of GMO salmon imminent

Dear John,

Here’s the good news – the work that we’ve all done to keep new, unlabeled GMO foods off store shelves just got a boost. The Washington Post¹ just ran a front page story highlighting the success of our GE-Free Seafood Campaign and the pressure people like you have put on stores not to sell genetically engineered seafood. It also called out Kroger — one of the biggest holdouts — by name.

But now the bad news: we’ve also learned that final FDA approval of GMO salmon could be right around the corner — possibly in the next few weeks.

Just because the government won’t step up and stop this frankenfish doesn’t mean we’re giving up. Will you give $5 right now to help Friends of the Earth and our work to stop GMO seafood?

It’s clear that the majority of consumers don’t want unlabeled, untested, virtually unregulated GMOs on store shelves. So if the FDA won’t protect us from the risks of genetically engineered foods, then we will elevate consumers’ voices and ensure that companies listen.

We’re not stopping with GMO salmon. As early as 2014, GMO apples could be on the market, so we’re asking Gerber baby food company, one of the largest buyers of apples, to keep its baby food free of risky GMO apples.

And that’s not all; we’re taking the lead to make sure that extreme genetic engineering stays out of your ice cream. The New York Times² just ran a piece highlighting our campaign calling on major ice cream companies not to use a new vanilla flavoring excreted by genetically engineered yeast. This synthetic biology vanilla may even be labeled “natural,” despite being produced by genetically engineered yeast cells created in a laboratory.

In all of these campaigns we’re up against food giants who have vast coffers to draw from. It’s going to take the support of people like you to generate enough pressure to ensure our food system is healthy, sustainable and honest.

Please give just $5 — or more if you can afford to — and help Friends of the Earth in our work to pick up the slack when government fails to protect us.

Standing with you,

Dana Perls,
Food and technology campaigner
Friends of the Earth

1. Dennis, Brady. (2013, Oct 18) “A new method against genetically modified salmon: Get retailers to refuse to sell it”. Washington Post.
2. POLLACK, ANDREW. (2013, Oct 20) “What’s That Smell? Exotic Scents Made From Re-engineered Yeast”.  New York Times.