Genetically modified (GM) foods possess specific traits such as tolerance to herbicides or resistance to insects or viruses. They are produced by inserting a foreign gene sequence encoding the desired protein into the plant genome — a process known as gene technology. Labelling legislation and trade requirements have prompted the development, internationally, of a variety of methods and techniques for detecting GM material in commodities and food. However, testing for GM organisms is a challenge for many reasons.
NMI can assist exporters, importers, food producers and distributors in relation to GM testing of food, grain and seed (particularly cotton and canola seed) and offers a range of methods that have been accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities to ISO/IEC 17025. Click here for details of our NATA accreditation.
In order to monitor method accuracy and international comparability, NMI participates in proficiency trials for GM detection. To meet the demands of the Australian market, NMI has an on-going research and development program focused on enhancing our capability in identification of specific GM foods.
To provide an understanding of the complexities of GM testing to relevant Australian industry and government bodies, NMI recently completed a Review of Technologies for Detecting Genetically Modified Materials in Commodities and Food commissioned by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
NMI provides important technical input to Australian Government regulatory bodies and departments such as Food Standards Australia New Zealand, the Office of the Gene Technology Regulatory and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
NMI is also working closely at an international level with other national measurement institutes and international agencies to develop an infrastructure that will support comparable and traceable biological measurement in areas such as GM testing. NMI has contributed to Australia's input on the issue of GM food to international forums such as the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology. Codex Alimentarius is a joint body of the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Its remit is to develop food standards to ensure that there are no impediments to international food trade and that food traded internationally is safe.
GM samples may range from raw commodities to highly processed foods such as cakes and breads, and each processing step may affect the ability to detect the presence of GM organisms. In addition, testing requirements extend from a general GM screen to a method capable of identifying and quantifying a specific GM crop. The method that is most suited for each foodstuff must be determined on a case-by-case basis based on client’s requirements, degree of processing, homogeneity of the sample and information sought from the test.
Australia currently exports more than 90% of its cotton, primarily for use as fibre, although significant quantities of cottonseed are also exported to European countries. GM cotton was first grown in Australia in 1996 and since then, the percentage of the Australian cotton crop that is genetically modified has been steadily increasing. In order to meet the requirements of export markets such as European countries where GM cottonseed is not approved, stringent controls and quality assurance systems together with accurate and reliable GM testing, are needed to monitor for adventitious contamination of non-GM seed with GM seed. Furthermore, to ensure comparable and reproducible biological measurement between laboratories and countries validated test methods and appropriate reference materials are necessary.
NMI has developed and validated a procedure to screen for the presence of GM cottonseed in a sample of 3000 seeds. The method, which includes grinding and homogenising steps that ensure a representative sub-sample is used for analysis, is capable of detecting down to a single GM seed in a sample containing 3000 seeds.