Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/981680
IN THE MARKET | ECO UPDATE A Boost for Organic Oeko-Tex Launches GMO-Free Cotton Test Method. By Emily Walzer Oeko-Tex advances testing to reduce harmful substances in textiles used in garments for children as well as adults. ith consumers increasingly curious about the goods they buy, raising the level of information regarding textiles in the marketplace is timely. New testing from Oeko-Tex does just that by help- ing companies detect if product is free from genetically engineered cotton. Launched in April, the new method from Oeko-Tex provides a straightforward manner to test for genetically modified organisms in organic cotton. Samples are ana- lyzed using RT-PCR (reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction) technology, which can identify known genetically modifiedmaterials at a limit of 0.1 percent. Test results clearly indicate whether these GMOs were detected or not. Organic cotton products seeking Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex certification will be required to undergo GMO testing. GMO testing is optional for other products. Currently, the GMO testing technology is limited to cotton. Details of the test method were reviewed in a recent webinar titled "From Seeds to the Final Product: Tracing GMO-Free Cotton." The discussion also covered the technology, the advancements, and the challenges of the new testing service. The launch of GMO-free testing is significant for the industry. The popularity of organic cotton has grown substantially, yet 70 percent of cotton globally is geneti- cally altered. Arguments strongly in favor of cotton DNA modifications continue, however, the producers and consumers of organic cotton reject them. To qualify as organic and to be marketed as such, cotton must meet a comprehensive list of criteria gov- erning the cultivation, processing, and segregation of the cotton. One major requirement is that the cotton plants cannot be genetically engineered. With today's complex, global, multi-sourced supply chain, brands are advocating for traceability to ensure that products labelled organic are accurate. "In stores we see all these labels, and organic cotton is a mega trend. Its clear, and logical, that organic cotton needs to be traceable," says Dr. TImo Hammer, CEO Life Science & Care Department, at the Hohenstein Institute, Germany. He notes that a challenge in the past was to provide traceablity throughout the entire supply chain. Now however, "we focus very much on optimizing this test to be able to do it on process and on product," Hammer states. According to Hammer, current certification for organic cotton (e.g., GOTS) is based on certificate chains, not tests. In a few cases, cottonseed is examined in the laboratory. The harder the cotton is processed, the harder the DNA test for GMO. Here the Oeko-Tex service makes strides. The new test dispels the belief that once organic fiber has been bleached, dyed and processed all traces of genetic mate- rial are destroyed. But the fact that the Oeko-Tex test can claim evidence of GMO in finished garments is a big step forward. The test is beneficial as well in terms of minimizing the risk of mixing conventional and organic seeds, contamina- tion from external and internal factors, and incomplete traceability in the supply chain. Hammer admits limitation still exists, however. While 90 percent of test samples worked well, 10 percent did not. According to Hammer no pattern presented to understand why some samples were not able to test. "We want to bring the number to zero, but not there yet," said Hammer. To view/listen to the webinar, visit: www.oeko-tex.com/ webinars O W textileinsight.com