A company that has engineered salmon to grow twice as fast as the conventional variety says its food should not be labeled any differently in the grocery store if it is approved by the U.S. government.

The chief executive of the company, Ron Stotish, argued at a Food and Drug Administration hearing Tuesday that genetically modified salmon have the same flavor, texture, color and odor as the conventional fish.

The FDA is holding a hearing to solicit opinions on how the genetically engineered salmon should be labeled. According to the agency’s rules, the fish will not be labeled as genetically modified if the FDA decides it has the same material makeup as conventional salmon.