Eurofins IP TRUST Programme - Avoiding GMO entry into your supply chains

Combined laboratory and certification expertise to help companies establishing non-GM programmes in your company

Sep 2020. More than 20 years of cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops have led to complex situations where GM and conventional crops coexist in our food and feed supply chains. As a result, seed breeders, farmers, traders, food and feed producers and retailers must have in place appropriate control measures to avoid the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into their conventional ("GMO-free") production lines.

In the new version of the Eurofins Identity Preservation (IP) Standard, Eurofins has combined the internationally recognised Eurofins GeneScan Standard for GMO analysis with the long-standing assessment and certification expertise of Eurofins Food Assurance. This version comes with a new name "Eurofins IP TRUST" and is an optimal tool for the implementation of an efficient "non-GMO" control programme. It takes into account the complexity of global commodity flows and at the same time different international regulations on GMOs and derived products.

Applicable to all stages of food and feed production

The Eurofins IP TRUST Version 6 standard is applicable by companies at all stages of the production of raw materials, food, pet food and feed that deal with the production or trade of non-GM products. The standard is based on the EU regulations on GMOs and products produced from GMOs. Adaptation to other markets is also possible so that the requirements of different "non-GMO" markets can be met. Conformity is ensured for product labelling and IP status claims. Among other things, the new standard provides for the implementation of appropriate separation, cleaning and rinsing measures to avoid the entry of GMOs.

Risk assessment, consulting and audit

In order to minimise the risks of GMO contamination at each stage of the food and feed supply chain, a risk assessment must be carried out throughout the production and manufacturing line and measures based on this assessment must be defined, together with appropriate control and deviation management. For this purpose, auditors of the international Eurofins Food Assurance network conduct an annual audit of the established measures to avoid the entry of GMOs, thus ensuring continuous risk management.

Appropriate GMO investigation scopes and methods

IP TRUST prescribes robust, appropriate sampling and GMO analysis strategies, which are approved by Eurofins GeneScan. This ensures the application of appropriate test scopes that take into account the different requirements of different raw materials, different processing stages and origins of raw materials. Established test programmes are evaluated and validated by our experts.

Trust through transparency and independent certification

Eurofins IP TRUST is the appropriate programme to demonstrate customers, consumers and associations, through independent certification, the implementation of appropriate processes to avoid GMO entries in the food supply chain.

Please contact us

For further information, we are at your disposal. Contact your personal account manager or our experts at IPTRUST@eurofins.com.