How GMO Testing in Food Works

In the era of food regulations being stringent and consumers being conscious, GMO testing has become one of the mandatory for imported foods that cannot be skipped for the food and feed industries. Accurate testing of GMOs is essential, whether the food or feed samples are sourced from international suppliers or local farms, to establish a transparent trade. This blog simplifies technical jargon and explains GMO screening and its importance and helps choose the right method of testing.

Key Takeaways: The Science and Impact Behind GMO Screening

GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in food, feed, or seed samples can be easily identified using RT-PCR (Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction) technology, which is known to be the most effective and sensitive method for GMO testing. During the process, it targets unique DNA markers and transgenic elements such as P-35S or T-NOS, pFMV, pat, nptII, cp4EPSPS, cry2Ab and cry1Ac to identify GMOs in any sample. To adhere to regulatory bodies, facilitate exports, maintain traceability and transparency, and verify "non-GMO" labels, GMO screening is a compulsory process. 

The history of GMOs in food 

In simple terms, a GMO refers to any organism (plant/animal/microorganism) whose genes/DNA have been modified either to produce higher yields or protect the organism from pests, weeds, or abiotic stresses. In the early scientific era, cross-breeding was done to produce plants with desirable traits. Over time, the evolution of genetic engineering occurred. The genetic engineering concept started with the discovery of DNA. Soon, the genetic engineering in food started with crops; many variants like antibiotic-resistant tobacco, flavr Savr tomato, genetically modified enzymes for cheese making (chymosin), GMO soybeans, and corn became popular and made available for cultivation and processing. Till date there are many GM foods have been reported from the sources, the modern inventions being beta-carotene-enriched rice,pink pineapples, purple tomatoes, disease-resistant bananas, and many more.

From the invention to regulation

Although studies have shown that GMOs have no direct impact on health, core topics of global debate lie in allergy-related issues, gene exchange, and gene outcrossing. The GMO testing started as a precautionary measure to ensure transparency, traceability, and assessment of their impact on biodiversity, or, simply, segregation from non-GMOs. Also, GMOs produced in a particular region may meet legal requirements in some countries, but other countries may have bans on the same GMOs. Furthermore, if the consignment fails to generate a non-GMO report or an examination at the port, most of the regulatory bodies will reject the shipment, recall it, or simply destroy the consignment to avoid further contamination. This will lead to major economic losses to the exporters. 

How is Seqlo redefining the GMO testing in food right from the start?

The food travels through a multiple-step process, starting from the harvest to consumers. It needs to travel through the processing factories, laboratories, ports, and many others before reaching the consumer. Some samples from this food spend most of the time in the laboratories, and the entire movement of the food bundles is based on the samples that go through different checks. These checks decide if the food is moving to the next step or not. However, to cross the ports and reach consumers, the food has to meet certain checks, legal requirements, and certifications. Failing to pass these checks may lead to either loss of the entire food or a very costly recall. Beyond exporters, this strategy applies to the industries, including the seed & agrochemical, food & beverage, feed, biotechnology research, and pharmaceutical industries. This is where testing at the right point of time with the right tool helps.

Seqlo, with its unique testing expertise across industries, helps manufacturers to test GMOs with the finest tools right from the start of the supply chain, supporting the claims with molecular precision. From raw materials to finished products, Seqlo makes testing possible at every stage for quality assurance. With its ever-sensitive technology and easy user interface, this is a must-have GMO screening tool in every laboratory or food and feed manufacturing industry to significantly reduce the financial losses due to recalls.

How does Seqlo's GMO detection kit work? 

Seqlo’s GMO detection kit works on the principle of advanced RT-PCR technology to identify the unique markers and transgenic elements of DNA in a sample, which depicts the presence of genetically modified matter within 2 hrs. This kit offers next-level speed and precision to cut testing times, making it handy for manufacturers, proving that fast and early doesn’t mean less accuracy. Also, the system offers unmatched ruggedness and sensitivity. The GMOs can be tested right at the farm with minimal setup, in laboratories with minimal space, and at the dock where shipments are received. 

Take a look at the methodology below in 4 simple steps:

Sample Preparation: Grind the samples and make them into powder form.
DNA Extraction: Extract the DNA using the “Universal DNA Extraction Kit."
RT-PCR: Use the seqlo’s GMO Detection kit to prepare the master mix for amplification.
Results Setup the reaction mixture  to the seqlo’s RT-PCR system, and wait for the amplification.

Conclusion:

In today’s era of testing, GMO testing has evolved as one of the mandatory tests for imported goods that every food, feed, or seed industry must provide to comply with regulatory bodies. Failing in this single test might cause your brand to lose its trust and reputation and face costly product recalls. This single test decides if the product reaches the consumer or the landfills. In this blog, we explored mitigating risks of GMOs in the food industry and achieving the right test results at the right time. At Seqlo, we deliver molecular accuracy in a matter of a few minutes to strengthen the testing facilities of food industries.

Make your product export-ready with Seqlo and bring molecular precision in-house!!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which is the most appropriate way for detecting GMOs in food?

A: The best method to detect GMOs in food is RT PCR technology. It is often considered a gold standard for testing. This method is known for its precision, accuracy, sensitivity, and most importantly, time. Also, this method works well with raw samples to processed ones. 

Q: How much time will it take to detect GMOs using the Seqlo kit?

A: Seqlo’s GMO detection kit takes approximately 2 hours to get the results, including DNA extraction and PCR run. It follows a simple 4-step process to produce high-quality results.

Q: Do I need technical knowledge to detect GMOs using the Seqlo kit? 

A: No, you don’t need any technical knowledge to use seqlo’s GMO detection kit. You need only basic pipetting skills to run this. 

Q: Why is RT-PCR GMO testing a must-have for exporters?

A: Most of the regulatory bodies have stricter rules if any food, feed, or seed-related products identifies GMO. Either the consignments simply get discarded or are rejected at the ports, leading to very expensive product recalls. RT-PCR technology for GMO testing provides rapid and reliable testing, which can be done in any stage of the supply chain.

Q: Can I do GMO testing in the field level, or do I need a lab setup for this?

A: Seqlo’s GMO testing provides a rugged system that can be used at both the field level as well as the laboratory level. This system requires a little space and an electricity source to run.