GMOs

In Europe, more and more GMOs are permitted as ingredients in food and feed. However, more and more GMOs are also appearing on the world market that have not been tested in Europe for their safety on humans, animals and the environment. As a result, they cannot be incorporated into products that are marketed in Europe.

Verification of non-GMO product labels & detection of GMOs

Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) can help to measure your production chain for any GMOs that are maybe present in your "non-GMO" labeled raw materials and products.

If you have GMO labeled raw materials or products, we can determine which EU authorized GMOs are present and what the percentage of these GMOs is. We can also test for a number of GMOs that are not authorized in the EU but that are permitted in exporting countries.

More GMO tasks and all-round expertise

In addition to researching GMOs in the chain, for the correct labeling of (non-) GMO products and the detection of (un) authorized GMOs in food and feed products, WFSR carries out several tasks when it comes to GMOs. This expertise is useful for, among other things, placing measurement results in context, assisting labs with the introduction of their own measuring systems, and finding tailor-made solutions:

  • Participation as a national reference lab in a European network to validate official GMO detection methods
  • Development of new advanced and / or rapid analysis methods for the detection of GMOs
  • Tracking the marketing authorizations of GMOs in and outside the EU and collecting information for their detection (including the EUGINIUS database)
  • Method development for the adequate and cost-effective assessment of GMO safety without the use of laboratory animals (including omics approaches)
  • Follow technological developments in agricultural / food biotechnology and their implications for how GMO safety is guaranteed
  • Contribute to the development of harmonized standards and guidelines for the safety and detection of GMOs by (inter) national governments, including the Dutch, European and international organizations for standardization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
  • Advise on safety assessment of GMOs for market authorization within the European Union authorization system
  • Provide online bioinformatics facilities for predicting possible allergenicity of newly expressed proteins, a permanent part of the GMO safety assessment (Allermatch website with database and search function)