Monitoring of GMO in Brazilian processed meat and soy-based products from 2007 to 2008

Roundup Ready™ (RR) soybean is the first genetically modified organism (GMO) approved in Brazil. In this country, the labeling of foodstuffs containing GMOs is mandatory if the GMO content exceeds 1% (10 g kg−1). In order to monitor and quantify the presence of RR soybean in soy-based and processed meat products on the Brazilian food market, DNA was extracted from 59 food samples and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the soybean lectin gene, and by nested PCR to amplify the recombinant DNA present in RR soybean. Positive samples for the presence of RR soybean were subjected to a real-time quantification of GMO using a duplex real-time PCR. The results showed that out of 59 samples, 54 were positive for lectin gene and six were positive for RR soybean, 5 samples contained less than10 g kg−1 GMO and one sample contained more than 10 g kg−1 GMO.