Genetically modified organisms (GMO), from plants and to animals, are those that have been scientifically altered in some capacity. Recently the FDA approved the first ever genetically modified fish, salmon, for human consumption. The definition sounds freaky enough, and as the alterations get closer and closer to our dinner plate, people are increasingly more uncomfortable with the safety of GMO foods.
But here's the thing: people have been messing with their foods for as long as agriculture has been around. Picking hardy crops, creating hybrid fruits - it's been done before, and the results have been rewarding. It's only when scientists have more sophisticated tools to modify organisms at the DNA level that people have gotten nervous.
The famed GMO salmon is engineered to grow year round and at a faster pace. The FDA reports that this GMO salmon does not differ nutritionally from farm-raised Atlantic salmon. Though this has distressed many people, the salmon is just another on the growing list of modified foods that people already eat daily. So rest assured, genetically modified foods may sound scary, but is completely safe to eat.
