Are you ready for some gene-edited bacon? The Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to pigs developed by PIC, a biotech firm specializing in livestock genetics, for human consumption. This approval comes after the company successfully used CRISPR, a powerful gene editing tool, to create pigs resistant to a common viral infection affecting swine worldwide.

The FDA approval, granted on Wednesday, allows for a specific gene edit to be used in commercially bred pigs. Although it may take some time for this gene-edited pork to reach our dinner plates, the benefits of this innovation are significant. With the help of CRISPR, PIC has made pigs resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a virus that has been devastating to the pig industry for decades.

According to Matt Culbertson, Chief Operating Officer at PIC, “We have spent years conducting extensive research, validating our findings, and working with the FDA to gain approval.” This statement was released by the National Pig Association in the UK on Thursday, following the FDA’s announcement. The company’s edit targets the receptor on pig cells that the PRRS virus hijacks to cause infection, making the modified pigs resistant to nearly all strains of the virus.

PRRS has been a major concern for the pig industry since it emerged as a significant problem several decades ago. The virus can cause reproductive failure in breeding pigs and kill young pigs, resulting in substantial economic losses. The World Organization for Animal Health estimates that PRRS costs the US alone around $560 million annually.

The gene edit is introduced into early embryos, which are then implanted into female pigs. This means that the mutation can be inherited by future generations of bred pigs, making them resistant to the virus. Notably, these gene-edited pigs are not considered to be different from unmodified pigs in terms of taste, safety, or any other aspect.

This is not the first time the FDA has approved gene-edited pigs for human consumption. In 2020, the agency approved Revivicor’s Galsafe pigs, which have been edited to remove a sugar that can trigger allergies in some people. The FDA has also approved other genetically modified animals, such as salmon, for human consumption.

However, companies have historically struggled to overcome regulatory hurdles and gain a foothold in the commercial market. PIC’s relatively simple method, which involves removing a gene rather than adding one, may make its pigs the first gene-edited livestock to be widely bred and consumed. The success of this project could pave the way for other meat products that are genetically engineered to be safer or more disease-resistant.

Before PIC’s gene-edited pigs can be widely available, the company needs to secure approval in other major markets, including Mexico, Canada, and China. The company expects its pigs to be available for purchase in the US by 2026 at the earliest. Despite the time and resources required to bring this project to fruition, the potential benefits of gene-edited pork are significant, and this innovation could mark the beginning of a new era in livestock production.