The USDA announced earlier this month the finalization of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the regulation of animals developed using genetic engineering intended for agricultural purposes (such as human food, fiber, and labor).
The MOU provides the transition of portions of the FDA’s regulatory oversight of animal biotechnology to USDA. The FDA will continue to review “genomic alterations intended for any purpose other than agricultural use, such as biopharma and non-heritable genomic alteration, and the regulation of dairy products, table and shell eggs, certain meat products, and animal food (feed) derived from animals developed using genetic engineering.”
USDA and FDA will continue to work closely on products’ safety from new technologies and foster innovation.
