Goodness no! Tilapia are naturally occurring fish that are widely farmed for food. They are not lab-created or GMO.
The Origins of Tilapia
Tilapia originated in Africa, with some species also native to the Middle East. It is primarily a freshwater fish found naturally in rivers, lakes, and ponds—it not a fish created by modern farming or genetic manipulation. In fact, people raised tilapia for food in ancient Egypt. Tilapia is widely farmed because it is economical to raise: it grows quickly, breeds readily in captivity, tolerates a range of farming conditions, and can live on inexpensive feeds containing substantial amounts of plant ingredients. In the market it is less expensive than most other farmed fish.
The False Rumors About Tilapia
You may hear a rumor that tilapia are lab-created “mutant” fish that are not found in the wild. It is sometimes claimed that they have no skin or bones and are laden with toxic dioxin. This is of course utter nonsense! As explained above, tilapia are naturally occurring fish that are well-suited to farming. The rumor may have gotten its start from a misunderstanding of the GIFT breeding program—Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia—which selected and bred fish with desirable traits over successive generations. This is the same way that breeds of dogs and cats were developed; there is no genetic engineering or laboratories involved! The same techniques have been used to improve farmed salmon, trout, and carp. And while tilapia may be given feed made from GMO plants, this does not mean that the fish themselves are GMO. You can go ahead and enjoy a meal of tilapia without worrying about their origins!
Here are Some More "Fishy" Myths for You!
Is fresh seafod always better than frozen? Maybe, maybe not.
Lox is smoked salmon, right? Technically no, although it is common usage.
