Abstract
Despite the fact that the measurement unit for the quantification of GMOs in food and feed products has not yet been unambiguously agreed upon in Europe, international trade requires reliable GMO analysis measuring comparably the GMO content of products. The two reference systems, based either on mass fractions or on copy number ratios, and their metrological traceability chains are presented and discussed. It is concluded that, properly established and expressed, measurement results in copy number ratios can provide a metrologically sound reference system. In this case, certified reference materials used for calibration and quality control can be independent of each other and the uncertainty derived from calibration can correctly be included in the overall uncertainty of the GMO measurement. However, further efforts are required to establish this metrological system.
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Abbreviations
- GM:
-
Genetically modified
- GMO:
-
Genetically modified organisms
- PCR:
-
Polymerase chain reaction
- EC:
-
European Commission
- CRM:
-
Certified reference material
- RSDR :
-
Relative reproducibility standard deviation
- DNA:
-
Desoxyribonucleic acid
- pDNA:
-
Plasmid DNA
- gDNA:
-
Genomic DNA
- LOD:
-
Limit of detection
- SI:
-
International System of Units
- U:
-
Expanded uncertainty
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Trapmann, S., Corbisier, P., Schimmel, H. et al. Towards future reference systems for GM analysis. Anal Bioanal Chem 396, 1969–1975 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-3321-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-3321-8