The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter

Gene-edited pig meat and cell-cultured chicken approved by FDA

Very soon, cultured chicken meat will be served in big-city restaurants. CRISPR (gene-edited) pig meat developed at Washington State University (WSU) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for human consumption as sausages. Gene-edited products are allowed on the market in the U.S., unlabeled, and do not require FDA approval. Lead WSU […]

German and Austrian agriculture ministers oppose EU proposal to deregulate gene-edited plants

While the agriculture ministers from Germany and Austria strongly dispute the deregulation of new genetic techniques (NGTs), they are unlikely to block the EU’s proposal with so many countries and government bodies in favor of it. More probable is an attempt to negotiate as a united front—to protect their organic sectors and prevent large corporations […]

AquaBounty’s “pause” on Ohio GMO salmon farm construction is latest setback for “Frankenfish” developer

AquaBounty Technologies, Inc., maker of the controversial genetically engineered salmon, recently announced that it would pause construction of its GMO salmon farm in Ohio due to a “substantial increase in its estimated cost of completion.” This marks the latest setback for the GMO salmon producer. This past February, AquaBounty announced it would it will stop […]

Junked robot: Syn-bio company Perfect Day dumps consumer brand, including Brave Robot ice cream

By Ken Roseboro Synthetic biology protein producer Perfect Day recently dumped its consumer facing business, The Urgent Company (TUC), and laid off about 15% of its workforce. The company said it made the moves to focus on its business-to-business ingredient sales and nth bio “consulting” precision fermentation business. The TUC division comprised four brands: Modern Kitchen (cream […]

Sorghum bran—a nutritious alternative to wheat in gluten-free bread

A study published in the Journal of Food Science found that sorghum bran offers dietary fiber and antioxidants when it replaces wheat flour in gluten-free products. Typically, the wheat is replaced with refined flour and starches, and adding fiber can create a hard texture. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service studied […]