Is it wild caught, is it farmed, or is it GMO?

It’s been over a year now since we reported on AquaBounty, a biotechnology company that specializes in aquaculture, and their genetically engineered salmon.

Since our last report, Aquabounty made its first harvest of their genetically engineered AquAdvantage Salmon in May, 2021.

After many delays caused due to the global pandemic, the first distribution of fish has been introduced into the market.

The big question now lands- where is the GE (genetically engineered) salmon going?

Before you run to your freezer to check your labels, Aquabounty has not landed in stores yet as a lot of companies aren’t catching the bait.



In fact, more than 80 U.S. companies with a combined 18,000 locations have said they will not carry the fish.

On that list are major institutional food service companies you may know such as Aramark, Compass, and Sodexo; they’re joined by nearly every major grocery chain, including Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Giant Eagle, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s.

Last May, AquaBounty announced they were working with only one restaurant distributor, the Philadelphia-based Samuels and Son Seafood, which sells to restaurants in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

However, AquaBounty President and CEO Sylvia Wulf announced Samuels and Son quote “decided to wait until {Aquabounty} product was successfully introduced in the marketplace” and has not distributed the salmon.

Wulf can be quoted saying, “AquaBounty is currently selling all of its weekly harvests to a variety of customers which {they} won’t name for proprietary considerations.”

AquaBounty says that its primary focus for distribution is currently on the foodservice channel, seafood distributors, and wholesalers with the GE salmon landing in some restaurants.

So yes, you could be eating GE Salmon, however, you may not even know it.

In fact, restaurants don’t have to disclose the source of their seafood offerings.



And they certainly don’t have to tell you that you’re eating AquaBounty salmon.

Aquabounty does have plans to focus on ecommerce and selling to consumers directly, allowing them to build a relationship and learn how to engage the consumer with the product they’re providing.

With three facilities open already, and a fourth slated for 2023- it may not be long before GE salmon is a household name.

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