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SGS North America GMO laboratory is one of four laboratories approved by Bayer Crop Science for testing of Liberty Link 601 in rice in the United States. Liberty Link Rice 601 is one of several Liberty Link strains which belongs to Bayer Crop Science – one of the leading crop science companies in the area of plant biotechnology.

Liberty Link Rice 601 (LLRICE 601) strain has been genetically engineered by Aventis Crop Science for herbicide resistance, a company bought by Bayer Crop Science in 2002. In the process of getting approval for commercial use of different Liberty Link rice strains, the company decided to exclude the LLRICE 601 from the regulatory approval with the United States Department of Agriculture, hence LLRICE 601 is not an approved strain in rice.

In summer 2006 Liberty Link 601 has been detected in commercial rice shipments that raised serious issues of food safety by general public and governmental authorities in many countries, even though LLRICE601 is declared safe by the Food and Drug Administration in the US. To ensure the food supply chain is free from LLRICE 601 strain, rigorous testing of rice in the supply chain, seed stock, and research materials is being conducted for rice exporting to the EU, the Middle East, and the Pacific Rim.

SGS North America GMO laboratory is one of four laboratories in the US approved by Bayer Crop Science for the testing of Liberty Link 601 in rice. Using Bayer’s approved protocols, verified by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration, the GMO Laboratory perform testing at 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% levels of detection with 3-4 days in turnaround time. SGS North America GMO Laboratory will issue a certificate of analysis acceptable to the EU, the Middle East, Canada, and other countries.

In addition to rice, the SGS GMO Laboratory provides testing services for cereals, beans, oilseeds as well as processed ingredients and foods. GMO or Genetically Modified Organism is interchangeable with other terms such as “genetically engineered” or “transgenic.” Rice, corn or any species of crop is classified as GMO when foreign genetic material is inserted into host DNA through artificial means, not heredity. Depending on trading regulations, acceptable levels of GMO vary from country to country and can range from zero tolerance up to 5.0%.

For more information, please contact Dr. Chong Singsit, GMO Laboratory Manager, phone +901 775 -1660 or Email.