Screening for genetically modified organisms sequences in food samples in Botswana using the Biosmart Allin 2.0 GMO screening system

Abstract

We used the Allin 2.0 GMO screening system from Biosmart, Switzerland to screen for the presence of genetically modified food sequences in maize meal samples, fresh fruit and vegetables from some retailers around Gaborone, Botswana. The Allin 2.0 is a multiplex PCR system for the detection of genetically modified organisms that contain the 35S-promoter and/or the NOS-terminator derived from the cauliflower mosaic virus and the Agrobacterium tumefaciens, commonly utilized in commercially grown transgenic crops. From the food commodities analyzed, two brands of maize meal were found to contain a 227 bp fragment amplified by the 35S promoter, which indicates the presence of genetically modified sequences within the products.