CRISPR gene-editing is one of the most significant advancements in technology that has been developed in a very long time. This technology allows scientists to edit genes in living organisms to optimize for specific traits that are desirable. There are many things that it can be used for, with one of the most important being modifying farm animals so that they are more desirable.

So far, there are just two farm animals that can be modified with this technology and still sold in the United States. The first is transgenic salmon, which were modified so that they grow faster. Next was a breed of beef cattle that were modified so that they could be more heat-tolerant.

Recently, however, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved a third type of CRISPR gene-edited animal for human consumption. The pig.

Pork is one of the most popular meats in America (and throughout much of the world), so this is a major step. In this case, the gene-editing that will take place is intended to protect pigs from a virus that leads to an illness known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). This disease costs  pig farmers in the US more than $300 million per year because pigs who have it tend to have difficulty conceiving, and when they do, they have an increased risk of having stillborn piglets. In addition, this disease can cause serious respiratory complications such as pneumonia.

This particular virus can spread through entire farms of pigs quickly, which makes it even more devastating. The gene-editing techniques used to stop the virus work by eliminating a receptor that allows the virus to enter the cells. it has been shown in tests to work to prevent 99% of known variants of the virus, rendering the pigs essentially immune.

The gene-editing for this particular virus was developed by Genus, a British company. Getting the approval of the FDA is a major step forward, and they are still working on getting regulatory approval for other major markets including Mexico, Japan, Canada, and China.

They hope that meat from the gene-edited pigs will be able to hit the market in the United States as soon as 2026. If it does, however, it is very likely that you won’t know about it because, at least for now, there does not appear to be any type of labeling requirements on pork made with pigs that had their genes edited in this way, according to an MIT Technology Review report.

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