Low level impurities in imported wheat are a likely source of feral transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in Switzerland

Abstract

In Switzerland, the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and the use of its seeds for food and feed are not permitted. Nevertheless, the GM oilseed rape events GT73, MS8×RF3, MS8 and RF3 have recently been found in the Rhine port of Basel, Switzerland. The sources of GM oilseed rape seeds have been unknown. The main agricultural good being imported at the Rhine port of Basel is wheat and from 2010 to 2013, 19% of all Swiss wheat imports originated from Canada. As over 90% of all oilseed rape grown in Canada is GM, we hypothesised that imports of Canadian wheat may contain low level impurities of GM oilseed rape. Therefore, waste fraction samples gathered during the mechanical cleaning of Canadian wheat from two Swiss grain mills were analysed by separating oilseed rape seeds from waste fraction samples and testing DNA of pooled seeds for the presence of transgenes by real-time PCR. Furthermore, oilseed rape seeds from each grain mill were sown in a germination experiment, and seedling DNA was tested for the presence of transgenes by real-time PCR. GT73, MS8×RF3, MS8 and RF3 oilseed rape was detected among seed samples and seedlings of both grain mills. Based on this data, we projected a mean proportion of 0.005% of oilseed rape in wheat imported from Canada. Besides Canadian wheat, the Rhine port of Basel does not import any other significant amounts of agricultural products from GM oilseed rape producing countries. We therefore conclude that Canadian wheat is the major source of unintended introduction of GM oilseed rape seeds into Switzerland.

Potential risk evaluation for unintended entry of genetically modified plant Propagating material in Europe through import of seeds and animal feed – the experience of Latvia

“…It can be assumed that wheat and barley samples contained low-level contamination with grains from other plant species as it has been described in other investigations, for instance, imported wheat with transgenic oilseed rape in Switzerland. 34 Alternatively, the presence of the nptII gene in a sample can be explained by possible contamination with environmental bacteria containing the nptII gene with a similar sequence. 35 Grains and seeds intended for the production of animal feed are a potential source of GMOs entering the territory of Latvia.…”

Spillage of Viable Seeds of Oilseed Rape along Transportation Routes: Ecological Risk Assessment and Perspectives on Management Efforts

“…These four sites were ports and railway stations on the borders to France and Italy. The feral plants probably originated from spillage of contaminated OSR seed from freight trains (Hecht et al, 2014;Schulze et al, 2014Schulze et al, , 2015. Spillage of GM OSR seeds along transportation routes was also confirmed in Japan where cultivation of GM OSR is also prohibited (Saji et al, 2005;Kawata et al, 2009;Nishizawa et al, 2009Nishizawa et al, , 2010Aono et al, 2011;Mizuguti et al, 2011), the United States (in North Dakota 80% of feral OSR proved to be GM: Schafer et al, 2011;Sagers et al, 2012) and Canada (Yoshimura et al, 2006;Knispel et al, 2008;Beckie and Warwick, 2010;Knispel and McLachlan, 2010).…”

“…An additional way for seed dispersal is contamination in other goods. Wheat imports from Canada were identified as potential source for contamination with GM OSR seeds (GT73, MS8 × RF3, MS8, and RF3) in the Rhine port of Basel and in processing facilities of two grain mills in Switzerland (Schulze et al, 2015). Imported wheat, a main agricultural goods handled at the Rhine port of Basel, may contain a low level of impurities of GM OSR (impurity in wheat imported from Canada is estimated to be 0.005% at average).…”

Case Study 2: Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)

“…Another study confirmed these findings and identified hot spots of transgenic plants at locations were unloading takes place (Hecht et al 2014). These hot spots were ports and railway stations bordering to France and Italy, despite Switzerland's import ban (Schulze et al 2015.…”