USDA Says: Gene-Edited Mushroom DOESN’T Need Regulation

Gene-Edited Mushroom DOESN’T Need Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently said in a letter that a mushroom with edited genes, via molecular scissors known as CRISPR/Cas9, doesn’t need to be regulated like other GM crops. That makes this mushroom the first CRISPR-edited crop to clear USDA regulation. And if you live in a state where labeling isn’t done, you may never know.

CRISPR/Cas9 was used by plant pathologist Yinong Yang at Penn State University to snip out a tiny bit of one gene from the mushroom Agaricus bisporus, and this edit, “reduces browning when the mushroom is sliced”, reports Science News. The USDA determined that because the editing left no foreign DNA that the crop won’t pose any risk to other plants and isn’t likely to become a weed.

While FDA approval isn’t required, Mr. Yang does plan to submit data about his GM mushroom.

Gee, that’s comforting.

Source: Science News