GMO detection

Commercially available genetically modified organisms (GMO) are plants/animals/bacteria whose genome was artificially inserted with DNA fragments from foreign species. Despite ongoing public concern on the safety of GM containing foods, their adoption is growing as it often reflects consistent and substantial improvements in productivity. Since 2004, in all EU Member States, GMOs must receive authorization before they enter the market. This applies to GMOs used in food and feed and to seeds for GM crops. The essential foundations of the EU’s policies are tight safety standards and freedom of choice for consumers and farmers. The development and application of reliable detection and quantitative analytical methods was essential for the implementation of the EU labelling rules. The need to monitor and verify the presence and the amount of GMOs in agricultural crops and in products derived thereof has generated a demand for analytical methods capable of detecting, identifying and quantifying either the DNA introduced or the protein(s) expressed in transgenic organisms, because these components are considered as the fundamental constituents. Generon offers methods either based on DNA detection using nucleic acids amplification techniques, and on protein detection using ELISA or Lateral Flow Devices.