You are here: Agriculture > Genfood and Food > Food from GMO > Swiss GMO Labs

6 Laboratories for food control in Switzerland

In order to better assess the current activities, personnel structures and technical facilities of the food control laboratories in the Swiss federal states (cantonal laboratories) and in Liechtenstein with regard to the molecular techniques they are applying to the detection of GMOs in food, a brief questionnaire was sent to individual laboratories in summer, 1996.

The laboratories of Basel and Bern indicated that they were already engaged in developing such molecular techniques. These and another four out of the 21 laboratories (Kantonale Laboratorien Aargau, St. Gallen, Solothurn and Thurgau) are presently using PCR-based methods; in some cases, PCR diagnostics are routinely employed on a daily basis. DNA probe hybridisation is less frequently used. In some of the laboratories not yet using the described methods, interest was expressed in establishing molecular techniques such as PCR in the near future. Laboratories from large retailers tend to collaborate with experienced academic or official laboratories.

The questionnaire revealed strong interest on the part of the surveyed laboratories to develop methods for detecting GMO-derived foods. On the other hand, the questionnaire revealed a substantial lack of specific information about GMOs, in particular with regard to precise sequence information on approved genetically modified organisms. The situation is evidently similar in Germany, according to sources from German food control laboratories. A major stumbling block hampering the elaboration of identification methods is the dearth of reliable genetic information. Comprehensive databases in this field may considerably facilitate research efforts in this field.