500 representatives of scientific and academic communities, regulators and industry from across the globe have come together today to share knowledge and promote international collaboration in the testing of food and animal feed for the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

The the 1st Global Conference on GMO Analysis, organised by the JRC, represents a milestone in worldwide harmonisation initiatives. The event is expected to have an impact on trade, development, scientific R&D and training. This years conference aims to address the science and technology underpinning GMO control and analysis by bringing together international experts willing to share knowledge and participate in promoting international scientific dialogue across diverse yet interdependent areas such as:

• Sampling for GMO analysis.
• Analytical tools and applied procedures along the commodity production chains.
• Consistency of test results, result interpretation and reporting.
• Harmonizing Standards for Detection of Genetically Modified Traits.

The growing global presence of GM crops in agricultural production and trade, as well as the accidental appearance of a number of unauthorised GMOs on the market such as Bt63 rice, have highlighted the clear need for a rigorous control system to detect genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the environment and in the food chain.

Despite the importance of scientific, social and political attention given to GMOs, no conference of this type and size has ever been held. The event takes place at a crucial moment, as the need for control of GMOs is paramount. It allows all stakeholders involved in GMO control to assess regulatory developments, to present and discuss progress made in method development and sampling techniques, and to address implementation aspects which pose considerable scientific challenges.