The effect of processing factors on detection of genetically modified soy in flour by ELISA assay

Genetic modification (GM) techniques have been an important research area of food and feed industry since the 19th century. There is a strong consumer concern over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) because of their potential risks on health and environment. For this purpose, various countries including Turkey have released labelling regulations for products derived from GMOs. These legal enforcements brought the necessity for reliable detection methods. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of processing on the detection possibility of GMOs by using a commercial Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent (ELISA) assay. For this, flour mixtures containing 0.5%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 100% were prepared by mixing the appropriate amount of RUR-GM and non GM standard soy flour and main processing techniques most used in the food industry (baking, autoclaving and freezing) were applied. According to our results, the detection of GMOs was possible at all concentrations of autoclaved and frozen samples. In dry heated samples, GMOs could not be detected containing below 5% GMOs. ELISA method cannot be recommended as a reference method for evaluation of the compliance with the regulations, but it can serve as a practical alternative to be used as an online monitoring tool in production lines for raw and mildly processed foods.