Harmonised reference genes and PCR assays for GMO quantification

GMO production has been accompanied, in several countries, by a number of regulations that set mandatory requirements for GMO traceability and labelling in relation to a relative GMO content. Analytical methods have been developed to trace GMOs, including the taxon from which the GM crop originates. The latter are referred to as reference assays and taxon is preferred to species as several crops refer at subs-species levels. This chapter examines the currently available reference assays and describes several bottlenecks raised by the required specificity and stability of these reference assays. It includes a proposal to establish a core collection of taxa until the issue of availability of accurate reference assays is solved.