Late last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AquAdvantage salmon–the first edible genetically engineered animal to earn such an approval. The salmon, produced by AquaBounty Technologies , are genetically engineered (GE) with DNA that causes them to grow to market size much faster than other salmon. And while many advocates have shown concern over the fish in recent years, the FDA has declared it safe to eat.

But instead of U.S. retailers taking favorably to the historic news, more than 60 supermarket chains are refusing to sell it in their stores–Costco now included. The second-largest retailer in the world (Walmart is the first) said in a recent statement that it hasn’t sold and doesn’t intend to sell GMO salmon. Costco joins supermarket chains including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, and Kroger in promising not to sell the genetically modified fish, according to environmental group Friends of the Earth.

“Salmon is too important for our diets, economy, and cultural heritage to accept anything made in a lab–we want the real deal and applaud Costco for ensuring its customers that’s what they’ll get when they shop there,” Heather Day, executive director of Seattle-based Community Alliance for Global Justice, a grassroots group focused on social justice and sustainability, said in a statement.

Click here to sign a petition for labeling GM Salmon

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