FDA Approves Pork from WSU Gene-Edited Pigs for Human Consumption
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized meat from gene-edited pigs, produced by researchers at Washington State University (WSU), for human consumption. The gene-editing tool CRISPR is being used to modify genetic traits of the line of pigs.
The work is led by Jon Oatley, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research for the College of Veterinary Medicine and tenured Professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences. He undertook the investigational food-use authorization process for five gene-edited pigs to demonstrate that food made from the animals is safe to eat and that it is possible for an academic institution to achieve this type of FDA authorization.