Detection of genetically modified soya in a range of organic and health food products: Implications for the accurate labelling of foodstuffs derived from potential GM crops

A selection of organic/health foods containing soya beans was tested for the presence of genetically modified (GM) material. Out of 25 samples of food products containing unrefined soya ingredients, ten tested positively for the presence of GM material. This was surprising because eight out of the ten GM-positive samples were either labelled as “GM free” and/or were labelled as “organic”, both of which imply the absence of GM ingredients. In no case did any of the foods tested reach the mandatory 1 per cent threshold required for positive labelling as GM products under current European Union legislation, although one product was close to this limit. However, there was considerable batch-to-batch variation in the GM soya content of some of the food products, depending on the purchase date and retailer. The paper discusses the implications of these results regarding international regulations on food labelling and use of “GM free” labels or their equivalent.