Earlier this summer, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a gene-editing technology that helps make pigs resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).
The decision is among the first for gene-edited livestock in the U.S. and was the result of years of research between the Pig Improvement Company and the FDA. PRRS causes fever, respiratory issues and reproductive failure in pigs, and is responsible for $1.2 billion in losses for the pork industry, according to Iowa State University research.
An organic pork company, duBreton, urges transparency in gene-edited pork labeling. “Transparent labeling is essential to consumer choice,” said duBreton President Vincent Breton. “Without it, responsible producers are placed at a disadvantage for refusing to compromise their values.”
