Main topics

? Genetically modified / genome-edited organisms in food, feed and seeds
? Allergens in food
? authenticity of food
o Species identification (plant and animal species)
o External additives (e.g. soy protein in meat, ...)
? Novel foods (e.g. insects)

position papers and statements

 

• Current issues in the analysis of genetically modified plants (February 2025) ( pdf )
• Current status of the analysis of food allergens (December 2023) ( pdf )
• Measurement uncertainty in allergen analysis (January 2022) ( pdf )
• Methods for differentiating animal species in food (2016) ( pdf )
• Threshold values for allergenic ingredients in food - Evaluation of the so-called VITAL concept from an analytical perspective (2009) ( pdf )

Archive Position Papers and Statements

 

• Detection method for food allergens (2015) ( pdf )
• Current Issues in GMO Analysis (2005) ( pdf )

PCR analysis working groups

? Method development committee of the LAG (regional committee on genetic engineering)
Tasks):
Method development for the detection of genetically modified microorganisms or GMOs according to GenTG

Contact Person:
Mrs. Anke Belter
State Office for Environmental Protection Saxony-Anhalt
Reilstrasse 72
06114 Halle (Saale)

? AVID working group on Molecular Biological Methods in Animal Disease Diagnostics
Tasks):
Optimization and standardization of molecular biological examination procedures for AVID method collection
Organization of comparative examinations

Contact Person:
Dr. Wolfgang Gäde
State Veterinary and State Investigation Office
Haferbreiter Weg 132-135, 39576 Stendal

? DIN standards committee for food and agricultural products (NAL)
Tasks):
Standardization and standardization

Contact Person:
Dr. Tom Resler
DIN German Institute for Standardization V.
Saatwinkler Damm 42/43, 13627 Berlin

? Section 64 of the LFGB working group to develop methods for identifying foods produced using genetic engineering
Tasks):
Method development and validation

Contact Person:
PD Dr. Joachim Mankertz
Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety BVL
Section 503: "National reference laboratories for residues of pharmacologically active substances and GMOs"
P.O. Box 110260
10832 Berlin

? § 64 LFGB working group development of molecular biological methods for plant and animal species differentiation
Tasks):
Method development and validation

Contact Person:
Dr. Claudia Brünen-Nieweler
Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office Münsterland - Emscher - Lippe (CVUA-MEL)
Josef König Str. 40, 48147 Münster

? Section 64 of the LFGB - working group on Molecular Biological Methods - Microbiology
Tasks):
Method development and validation

Contact Person:
Dr. Dietrich Mäde
State Office for Consumer Protection Saxony-Anhalt, Food Safety Department
Freiimfelder Str. 68, 06112 Halle (Saale)

? Section 64 of the LFGB working group on food allergens
Tasks):
Method development and validation

Contact Person:
Dr. Ulrich Busch
Bavarian State Office for Health
and food safety
Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim

? working group PCR analysis of the Division feed in the VDLUFA
Tasks):
Method development and validation

Contact Person:
Dr. Sabine Domey
Thuringian State Agency for Agriculture (TLL)
Naumburger Str. 98, 07743 Jena

? European network for GMO laboratories (ENGL)
Tasks):
Validation, method development, harmonization of procedures

Contact person (in Germany):
Dr. Lutz Grohmann
Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety
Genetic Engineering Division 405 - Traceability, Verification Procedures, Biosafety Clearing House
Mauerstrasse 39-42, 10117 Berlin

? working group for food-associated viruses (ALV)
Tasks):
Expert group "Food Associated Viruses"

Contact Person
Prof. Dr. Becker
Technical University of Ostwestfalen-Lippe
Life Science Technologies
Campusallee 12, 32657 Lemgo

? Subcommittee "polymerase chain reaction for the detection of microorganisms"
Tasks):
Standardization of examination procedures

Contact Person:
Dr. Kornelia Berghof-Jäger
BIOTECON Diagnostics GmbH
Hermannswerder Haus 17, 14473 Potsdam

? ERFA Molecular Biology working group (Switzerland)
Task (s) and sub-working groups:
GMO analysis / animal species differentiation / microorganisms / allergens

Contact Person:
Dr. Rene Köppel
Cantonal Laboratory Zurich
Fehrenstrasse 15
8032 Zurich (Switzerland)

? Microbiology and Molecular Biology Division (Austria)
Task:
Molecular biological methods (e.g. mycology)

Contact Person:
Dr. Andreas Adler
Working Group of Agricultural Research Centers in Austria (ALVA)
Austrian Agency for Health
and food security GmbH
Institute for Animal Nutrition and feed
Wieningerstraße 8, A 4021 Linz

Link collection to allergens

1) General (all topics) or start pages

Information platform of the EU on food allergens:
www.foodallergens.info/

US-FDA Information about Food Allergens:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/FoodAllergens/default.htm

2) Consumer Information

German nutritional advice and information network (DEBInet):
www.ernaehrung.de/tipps/nahrungsmittelallergien/

3) Analytics

Activities from the MoniQA project:
https://www.moniqa.org/

4) Allergen research

Officially recognized allergens:
www.allergen.org/

Allergome information platform (not peer-reviewed):
www.allergome.org/

FARRP Allergen Database (peer-reviewed):
www.allergenonline.com/

Informall (EU project) database (peer-reviewed):
www.ifr.ac.uk/protall/database.html

Allergen Data Collection (maintained only up to 2002):
www.food-allergens.de/

CSL Allergen Database: allergen.csl.gov.uk

5) Details on allergies/toxicological assessment

Allergy prevention action alliance:
www.allergiepraevention.de/