The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has granted deregulation status to Texas A&M University’s genetically modified TAM66274 cotton variety, which has been genetically engineered to contain ultra-low levels of gossypol in its seed. Gossypol is a naturally occurring compound in the pigment of cotton plants which offers protection from insect pests and diseases. TAM66274 maintains protective levels of gossypol in the plants, but the compound is significantly reduced in the seed, resulting in lower cottonseed oil refining costs and potentially expanding the use of cottonseed in the livestock and aquaculture feed industries, as well as for human food uses. APHIS concluded that TAM66274 cotton is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk to agricultural crops or other plants in the United States.