Thursday, June 28, 2007

Testing of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods


The introduction of genetically modified crops into the food chain has led to a requirement for the testing of a broad range of food and feed products in order to meet the EU labelling requirement for Novel Foods.


1. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

The PCR methodologies are commonly used to establish the presence or absence of DNA sequences found in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). This technique has been found to be applicable to both raw and processed food and feedstuffs.


2. GM Maize Selection Module
The GM Maize Selection Module offers the capability to detect a further four GM Maize varieties. These include Bt-11, MON810 (Yieldgard™) and LibertyLink™ (T25) (all EU approved) as well as the non-approved Starlink™ variety.


3. DNA Extraction Kit
The BioKits DNA Extraction Kit (GM Foods) is specifically designed to extract "pure & clean" DNA from a wide variety of food samples. The kit employs magnetic particles to produce high yields of DNA for all forms of qualitative and quantitative food and feed analysis