DETECTION OF DNA IN SOYBEAN OIL

The presence of DNA in foodstuffs which are, or contain, genetically m odified organisms (GMO) is the basic requirement for labelling of GMO food in Switzerland and is also being discussed as a requirement for l abelling in the European Union. The present work presents data indicat ing that no genetic material can be recovered after the first processi ng steps of soybean oil, i.e. when crude soybean oil is simply centrif uged, This fact is of some relevance because centrifugation is one of the first steps in industrial oil processing. A nested PCR system util ising a single copy gene (lectin 1) showed that centrifugation purifie d the oil from the genetic material by at least a factor of 10 000, Th e same results were observed when industrially processed oil fractions were analysed. Thus, with respect to the presence of DNA, soybean oil from GMO soybeans is identical to traditional oil and does not need t o be labelled as a GMO product in Switzerland.