Washington (CNN) Americans are one step closer to seeing genetically modified salmon at their grocery stores.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it is lifting an import alert that stopped genetically engineered salmon from entering the US.

The salmon, called "Frankenfish" by some, won FDA approval in 2015 -- the first approval of a genetically engineered animal intended for food. The FDA, after years of review, had deemed food from the AquaAdvantage Salmon safe to eat in 2015 and said there is no biological difference between these salmon and nongenetically engineered salmon.

But Congress blocked the FDA in 2016 from allowing the fish to be sold in the US until it finalized labeling guidelines to inform consumers the product was genetically engineered. The FDA then went ahead and implemented the import alert.

Congress also passed a law that year directing the US Department of Agriculture to set a national mandatory standard for disclosing bioengineered foods. In December, the USDA issued the standard , requiring manufacturers, importers and certain retailers to disclose whether a product was bioengineered using either text, a symbol, a electronic or digital link, and/or a text message.

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