The United States has allowed the raising of genetically modified pigs without galactose for food

Pigs became the second genetically modified animal to be recognized as safe for human consumption in the United States.

Pigs have been genetically modified to avoid the production of galactose-1,3-alpha-galactose, a characteristic hydrocarbon of many species of mammals. This substance can cause allergies in some people who consume meat or products that contain ingredients of animal origin, including medicines and cosmetics.

United Therapeutics Corp., a company that modifies the genome of pigs, is working to develop medical products, such as anticoagulants, that do not cause an allergic reaction in people sensitive to galactose-1,3-alpha-galactose, Dewey Steadman said, company spokesperson.

The Silver Spring, Maryland-based company also hopes to find opportunities to transplant organs from pigs to humans.

Genetically modified pigs called GalSafe could also be used for meat, but Steadman said the company did not know when it would be possible to reach an agreement with meat processors to distribute such products. He noted that allergies to common pork or other meat have not been considered a serious problem until now.

“He’s known, but not very well known,” Steadman said.

Medical professionals do not yet fully understand the mechanism of development of this allergy, but it has been linked to some types of tick bites. In 2009, 24 cases of such allergies were reported in the United States, but the latest figures show that more than 5,000 of those people live in the country, according to a report by a task force from the US Department of Health and Human Services. USA

Symptoms of this allergy can include hives (severe rash), itching, cramps, and vomiting. Unlike other food allergies, the reaction to galactose-1,3-alpha-galactose usually occurs a few hours after consumption of beef, pork, or lamb, making diagnosis difficult.

Jaydee Hanson, policy director for the Center for Food Safety (CFS), a nonprofit organization, noted that genetically modified pork has not been tested on people with these allergies.

“You offer it as [produktą]They can eat without knowing if it solves their allergy problem, ”Hanson said.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it has not evaluated the allergic safety of genetically modified pork because United Therapeutics has not provided data on whether the meat can prevent an allergic reaction.

The CFS sued the FDA when the agency granted permission to feed salmon whose genome had been altered so that the fish would grow faster. The organization said it was currently considering an agency decision on GalSafe pigs.

Greg Jaffe, a spokesman for another consumer advocacy organization, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), said the FDA’s decision on modified pork was cause for concern because it was made without public consultation. .

“It just came to our knowledge then [genetiškai modifikuotas] animal, ”he said.

The company has not disclosed how the pig’s DNA was specifically modified. Jaffe said the gene responsible for making the hydrocarbon in the body had probably been turned off and a tag for the “silenced” gene had been inserted.

Jaffe said he was not aware of any rules about how genetically modified pork should be labeled if it is sold in supermarkets. The US Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for overseeing the labeling of meat, has not yet responded to a request for comment on the situation.

According to D. Steadman, genetically modified pigs would be more difficult for United Therapeutics to raise meat because specific breeding and slaughter conditions must be ensured. A company spokesperson said about 25 GalSafe pigs are currently being raised on an Iowa farm.

Steadman explained that the company’s long-term goal was to reconcile this genetic modification with a chain of other changes to make pig organs suitable for human transplantation. Researchers have spent years seeking to make pigs a source of organs suitable for transplantation to reduce dependence on human donors.

Although there are no plans yet to sell genetically modified pork, genetically modified salmon could be readily available on the US market. AquaBounty, a fish farming company, said it was now deciding when would be the right time to catch salmon farmed in indoor pools on an Indiana farm.