Foodies who are looking forward to finding out what genetically engineered salmon tastes like will have to wait.
Congress prohibited the Food and Drug Administration from introducing foods containing genetically engineered salmon for interstate commerce as part of a $1.1 trillion spending bill released early Wednesday. The move comes about a month after the agency approved the first man-made salmon and sparked controversy over whether the food is safe.
The prohibition lasts until the agency publishes final labeling guidelines intended to inform consumers that their food contains the salmon, commonly referred to by opponents as “frankenfish.”
But the guidelines are only for manufacturers that want to voluntarily label their products as containing genetically engineered foods. It does not require them to, a key point of contention among advocates who want all foods that come from genetically modified organisms to be labeled.
It is not clear when the final guidelines will be available, as they were just proposed last month. The agency will allow people to comment until early next year and then will have to take time to review those comments and make any changes.
The prohibition lasts for fiscal 2016, which ends Sept. 30.
The FDA last month approved the AquAdvantage Salmon, which will grow faster than natural salmon, but with strict provisions. For instance, the salmon can be created only in Canada to ensure they don’t escape into U.S. waterways.
In addition, the salmon must be sterile so they don’t reproduce if they escape.
The agency said in its approval announcement that the salmon is safe to eat, but members of Congress have fervently disagreed.
“By embarking on this science experiment, the FDA ignores fundamental risk questions related to our wild fish species and food safety,” said Rep. Don Young, R-Ala., after the salmon was approved. Young comes from a state that has a vibrant fishing industry.
