Illegal GMO Lamb With Jellyfish Protein Sold for Meat in France

France's national agricultural institute is investigating how a lamb whose mother had been genetically modified with a jellyfish protein as part of a medical experiment was sold as meat.

In a statement Tuesday, the INRA said the lamb was sold for meat in October 2014 in the Paris region. The lamb was part of a heart disease research project, which modified animals with a commonly used protein derived from jellyfish that turned cells fluorescent.

The institute said the jellyfish protein was not a threat to human health but that prosecutors were notified of the lamb's entry into the food chain after an internal investigation at the institute. It warned about inappropriate staff behavior in the unit where the lamb was kept.

It's illegal in France to sell genetically modified food. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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