Tag: sampling

Non-GMO Webinar 501

Posted on by Brian Harris

You are invited to join a free webinar focused specifically on testing and sampling.

As a leading provider of testing solutions for Identity Preservation (IP) and Non-GMO programs, EnviroLogix has joined NSF International in presenting a webinar to discuss testing technologies that can be applied to the Non-GMO Project verification process.

The testing requirements for the Non-GMO Project can be a little be tricky. Sampling and testing for GMOs can be easy with QuickScan technology by EnviroLogix.  This webinar will look at how EnviroLogix has supported the grain industry through its innovative, simple and cost-effective platform, now being applied to the Non-GMO Project. Also joining the will be representatives of Eurofins, focusing specifically on Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing.

This is the 5th installment of the NSF Non-GMO Project webinar series aimed to get you ready, in compliance, and leveraging your in-place quality systems to gain market share with this new certification.

To participate in this informative session on July 1, click on the registration link below:

Non-GMO Project 501: Pointers on Sampling & Testing

July 1, 2015    –    10:30-11:30 Pacific Time

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GMO Testing Challenges and Applications

Posted on by Brian Harris

Commonly, GMO testing occurs in order to prevent contamination in GMO-free food and feed supplies.  This testing for low-level presence of genetically modified organisms (unintentional GMO contamination), is driven by consumer demand for non-GMO products.  For this, customers need highly-sensitive and rapid methods to identify GMO contamination, down to as little as 0.1%, or 1 GMO seed in 1,000 conventional seeds.

GMO Testing Applications

Testing for low-level presence can serve multiple markets.  If a trait is not approved in China, then grain exports cannot contain the unapproved GMO.  Other foreign markets, like Japan and Europe, have different purity requirements in order to meet non-GMO needs.  As GMO awareness increases, there will be increasing consumer demand for GMO labelling in foods.  Already in other countries, food manufacturers test raw ingredients, like corn and soy, for GMO contamination before it enters their processes; this enables them to screen out contamination before it makes it into product.  This will be a growing need in the US, as consumers drive demand for non-GMO products.

There is also need for the opposite application, where seed companies need a rapid method to test for the presence of the GMO traits in order to assure the quality of their GMO products.  Instead of testing for contamination, they test for the proper expression of the desired GMO traits in the seed product.

GMO Testing Challenges

Obtaining a representative sample is one of the most important factors when evaluating product for GMO contamination.  It can be challenging, depending on the application, to collect a statistically representative sample.  For any large amount of material, one should take multiple, representative subsamples and thoroughly blend them together.  Think of trying to detect below 1% GMO.  That’s less than 10 seeds in 1000.  Chances are, you won’t get the right answer if you take a single 10 seed, or even 50 seed, sample and assume it is completely representative.

USDA FGIS (formerly GIPSA) Sampling and Testing Guides

Posted on by Brian Harris

Understanding the quality and condition of your grain is critical, and accurate sampling at many points along the grain chain is necessary to ensure that confidence.

Perhaps the most important aspect of any grain-testing program is obtaining a representative sample from the truck or barge being tested. The USDA has outlined guidelines for effective sampling in a document called Inspecting Grain: Practical Procedures for Grain Handlers.

Section I of the document addresses the importance of proper sampling techniques in order to obtain representative grain samples. They recommend taking at least two probe samples from lots that are 600 bushels or less. For larger lots, draw at least three probe samples. Probe samples should be drawn at random locations from grain sampled at rest, using hand or mechanical probes. Refer to the USDA website for further information on representative sampling methods, techniques and materials.

Once a representative sample is obtained it will be helpful to obtain a smaller yet representative sub-sample for use in the test. A splitter can be used to randomly separate the probe sample(s). By repeatedly taking one of the resulting split samples and re-running it through the splitter, the sample can be reduced to a manageable size for grinding and blending, while still maintaining the representativeness of the original sample.

Alternatively, if using a larger capacity grinder, the entire probe sample can be ground and a representative sample taken from the uniform ground probe sample.