by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D., Childrens Health Defense:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week gave a U.K.-based biotech company the green light to produce gene-edited pigs for human consumption in the U.S.
PIC, formerly the Pig Improvement Company, uses CRISPR gene-editing technology to genetically engineer pigs to be resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a viral infection that affects pigs produced in industrial factory farms, according to Technology Review.
PRRS, which first emerged in the 1980s, is a contagious respiratory virus that causes fever, respiratory issues and reproductive failure in pigs. It can also suppress the immune system, making pigs more vulnerable to other infections.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
A recent analysis showed the virus cost the industrial pork industry about $1.2 billion in lost production between 2016 and 2020. Producers have had difficulty controlling the virus because it mutates quickly, rendering vaccines ineffective.
CRISPR gene editing makes it possible for scientists to manipulate an animal’s own DNA, rather than adding DNA from other species to it, as has been done with previous genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The FDA’s approval allows the company to produce the pigs commercially, which includes allowing the pigs to reproduce and pass on their genetic modification.
The designers of the pig used the CRISPR gene-editing “scissors” to edit pig embryos, cutting out the molecular receptor the PRRS virus uses to enter the cells. They then implanted the embryos into young female pigs.
“This approval is a milestone in biotechnology, with gene-edited animals potentially offering a more sustainable and disease-resistant source of protein,” wrote Food & Drink International.
Supporters also tout the idea that gene-edited pigs will need fewer antibiotics, because they won’t get sick.
However, critics doubt the editing will work for long. They also raised concerns about the technology’s unintended effects.
GMWatch, a GMO watchdog group that reported the FDA approval in its newsletter, wrote:
“We don’t expect the genetically engineered virus resistance — which even now is leaky — to last long in the gene-edited pigs. We saw in the COVID pandemic just how quickly viruses mutate to evade any barrier placed in their path.
“The genetically altered pigs will drive the evolution of mutations in the virus that enable it to break through the engineered virus resistance — potentially leading to the emergence of even more virulent strains of the virus.”
Swine disease researchers have also raised doubts about whether the gene editing will even work. A retired University of Minnesota professor and veterinarian told AVMA News, “There is no silver bullet when it comes to PRRS.”
“It will hopefully improve the control of PRRS,” he said. “But as it has not been tested under conditions representative of large-scale pork production, producers and veterinarians will still need to apply all the control measures that have been proven to be effective against this virus.”
In response to the news, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) is calling on the FDA to implement stricter regulations on genetically engineered animals. The organization said the current regulatory structure “lacks the necessary rigor and public transparency.”
Read More @ ChildrensHealthDefense.org
