Genetically Edited Beef Cattle Receives US Regulatory Approval

Cattle with very short, smooth coats are more tolerant of hot weather.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has made a low-risk determination for the marketing of products, including food, from two genome-edited beef cattle and their offspring after determining that the intentional genomic alteration (IGA) does not raise any safety concerns (low-risk determination).

Genetically Edited Beef Cattle Receives US Regulatory Approval

IGA results in an equivalent genotype (genetic composition) and short-haired coat trait seen in some traditionally bred cattle known as the "smooth" coat.

This is the FDA's first low-risk designation for the enforcement of IGA for food animals, the regulator said in a press release.

“Today’s decision highlights our commitment to risk management and a evidence-based, evidence-based process that focuses on the safety of animals containing intentional genomic changes and the safety of people who eat food produced by these animals,” said Stephen M. Solomon, director of the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. "It also demonstrates our ability to identify low-risk IGAs that do not raise safety concerns when used in food production."

“We expect our decision to encourage other developers to promote animal biotechnology products for FDA risk determination in this rapidly evolving field, paving the way for low-risk IGA-containing animals to enter the market more effectively,” he added.