STUDY ON THE DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED SOYA FOOD OR FEED MARKETED IN ROMANIA

Genetically modified organisms and foods derived from GMOs placed on the market must meet the requirements of European legislation regarding labeling and traceability. As European Union law assess, the labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms is obligatory, the imposed threshold being of 0.9% for each ingredient. In Romania, until 2007 (the year of EU admission) Roundup Ready soybean was no longer cultivated in Romania, but cross-border exchanges can lead to its introduction on the market of food, so closer monitoring of food products derived there from is required, using appropriate testing techniques. The following work presents the results of a study concerning food and feed containing soya and soya beans existing on the market in Romania, in order to detect the presence or absence of GM soya and its quantification in the samples found to be positive. Regarding this matter, we analyzed 15 samples using the PCR technique in real time (using analyzer Light Cycler), of which, five food samples, 4 soybeans' samples and 5 samples of feed were found positive in identifying the specific gene of the plant (lectin) and the genetically modified insert (RRS-DNA). Only for one sample (soybeans, aboriginal production), no DNA was detected specific to the line GTS 40-3-2 (Roundup Ready). The results obtained in real time PCR quantification, of samples that were tested positive, showed percentage values situated between 0.25% and 100%.