Why testing GMO is important?

GMO testing is an indispensable pillar of the food industry, safeguarding consumer choice and environmental protection.

International Practices on GM Food Labelling
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) considers that governments of different places may make their own decisions on whether or not to label GM food, and emphasises that labelling arrangements should be in conformity with the provisions promulgated by the Codex to avoid potential trade issues. At present, policies on GM food labelling vary in different countries and areas:

Mainland China
The “Implementation Regulations on Labelling of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms”《農業轉基因生物標識管理辦法》 stipulates that five categories of GM crops including soya bean, corn, cotton, canola and tomato, as well as some of their products are required to be labelled.

Canada
Labelling of GM foods is only required when the food is significantly different from its conventional counterpart in terms of composition, nutrition and allergenicity. However, the trade may label other GM foods on a voluntary basis. In Canada, a set of guidelines for voluntary labelling of GM foods has been issued.

The United States
GM foods must be labelled in the United States starting from January 2022.  There are several labelling options: text, symbol, electronic or digital link, and/or text message. Additional options such as a phone number or web address are available to small food manufacturers or for small and very small packages. A threshold in the labeling standard allows for the inadvertent or technically unavoidable presence of a GM substance, of up to 5%, in each ingredient.  The labeling standard does not cover ingredients or products in which the modified genetic material is not detectable.

Member countries from the European Union
All GM foods have had to be labelled in countries of the European Union. The requirement stipulates that all foods produced from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) should be labelled, irrespective of whether DNA or protein of GM origin is detectable in the final product. Moreover, conventional foods with adventitious presence of GM materials of higher than 0.9% should also be labelled.

Australia and New Zealand
The Australia and New Zealand authorities decided that all food products produced or imported had to be labelled when any of their ingredients contains more than 1% GM material. Additional labelling was also required for GM food ingredients with significantly altered characteristics. Highly refined foods, processing aids or food additives with the absence of GM materials, flavours in a concentration no more than 1g/kg in the final food, as well as foods prepared at point of sale are exempted from the GM food labelling requirement.

Japan
The Japanese authorities have required designated agricultural products and processed food items containing GM materials to be labelled. For the processed food items, those ingredients containing GM materials that are ranked within the top three constituents in terms of weight and the weight ratio of which account for five percent or more of the total weight have to be labelled. Labelling is not required for oil and sauce, where the original GM materials can no longer be detected.

Republic of Korea
The Korean authority requires that all approved genetically modified agricultural products (including vegetables grown using the genetically modified agricultural products, such as bean sprouts and bean leaves), which contain more than 3% GM materials have to be labelled.

Other places in Asia
Some other Asian countries such as Thailand and Vietnam have also set up regulations on GM food labelling.

What are GMOs?
Technological breakthroughs in plant genetic engineering have enabled scientists to directly introduce novel genes into a variety of economically important crops, including soybeans, corns, rapeseed (canola), potatoes, and cotton. These novel genes may improve shelf life, confer resistance to certain herbicides or produce toxins for specific insect pests. Examples include Roundup Ready soybeans and Bt-corn, which are popularly used in large variety of food products such as oils, protein fractions and dietary fibre as well as feed for livestock.

How are new genes introduced into plants?
There are a number of techniques involved in the introduction of new genes into plants. Biochemical ‘scissors’ called restriction enzymes are used to cut the strings of DNA in different places and select the required genes. These genes are usually then inserted into circular pieces of DNA (plasmids) found in bacteria. The bacteria reproduce rapidly and within a short time, thousands of identical copies and the new gene can be made. The plasmids are then introduced into individual plant cells to produce a “transgenic” or genetically modified (GM) plant.

Before the new gene is transferred, a ‘marker gene’ is attached which codes for resistance to an antibiotic. Plant cells which have been modified are then grown in a medium containing this antibiotic, and the only ones able to survive are those which have taken up the ‘new’ genes with the antibiotic-resistant marker attached. These cells are then cultured and grown into mature plants.

A piece of DNA (called a ‘promoter’) taken from a virus or bacterium is inserted along with the ‘new’ gene in order to ‘switch it on’ in its new host. These promoters allow genes to be produced at 10 to 1,000 times normal levels.


GMO in the Food Market
GM foods already on the global market include corn, soybeans, potatoes, squash, tomatoes, chicory and papaya. In addition, a variety of enzymes produced from genetically engineered microorganisms are used throughout the food processing industry.
As a result of the widespread planting of GM soybean and corn, primarily in the US – the biggest exporter of the two commodities in the world, it is estimated that more than 60% of commonly available processed foods contain soybean, corn and their derivatives of US origin. The production of GM crops grown in China tripled over the period 2000-2001 and it is now the world’s fourth largest GM producer.
Growing consumer awareness and pressure has prompted numerous retailers to GM material from their products and has created difficulties for suppliers, processors and retailers. In order to check the veracity of any claims made concerning GM-status, there is a need for a reliable and cost-effective testing service.

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