Oeko-Tex introduces GMO testing for organic cotton
The popularity of organic cotton has increased significantly in recent years. Consumers today are more concerned about the environment and about pollutants in the products they buy for themselves and their families. For them, buying organic food and organic textiles is a good choice. And for such products, these consumers are happy to pay a premium.
In return for a higher price, however, consumers expect the organic products they buy to be genuine and verifiable as such. A new Oeko-Tex audit now helps companies along the global supply chain to easily upgrade their organic cotton products to GMO (English for "genetically modified organisms"). Under the new laboratory test, an indicator at the molecular level shows whether cotton products actually meet a basic definition of "organic.
70 % Cotton genetically modified
Today, about 70 % of the world's cotton is genetically modified. Some cotton varieties, for example, are modified to be resistant to herbicides. Others are engineered with an insecticide to kill pests such as the cotton bollworm. While the industry can make a strong case for making such modifications to cotton DNA, organic cotton producers and consumers oppose them. The latter see the need for such modifications with regard to the Environment, social aspects and product safety a greater value that genetically untreated cotton offers.
In order to prove and market the organic quality of cotton, comprehensive criteria must be met that regulate the cultivation, processing and separation of the cotton. A key requirement here is that the cotton plants have not been genetically modified. Given today's supply chains, with their complex and global structure and diverse sourcing sources, how can producers be sure that products made from organic cotton are not contaminated with conventional cotton, so that the expectations of their customers and of consumers, as well as legal requirements, are consistently met?
STANDARD 100 ensure
The new Oeko-Tex GMO test is a simple method for testing organic cotton for gene-modified organisms. Samples are analyzed using the qPCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) method, which can identify known gene-modified substances down to a limit of 0.1 %. The test results clearly indicate whether or not these GMOs were found. Organic cotton products for which certification according to STANDARD 100 by Oeko-Tex must be subjected to a GMO test. For other products, GMO testing is optional. Currently, GMO testing is limited to cotton.
"From our study 'The Key To Confidence' we learned that consumers who buy eco-friendly clothing and home textiles are more likely to check whether claims are accurate," says Oeko-Tex Secretary General Georg Dieners, "The new CMO test gives manufacturers and marketers confidence that their organic cotton products meet legal requirements and consumer expectations regarding CMOs, and that independent, traceable documentation is available to prove it." For more information on Oeko-Tex's portfolio of tests, certifications and product labels, visit.
1 "The Key To Confidence: consumers and sustainability in textiles - mindsets, new behaviors and outlooks," Oeko-Tex and Anerca, 2017.
Text: www.oeko-tex.com
