Tag: health

EnviroLogix Launches 10-Trait QuickComb for Corn Bulk Grain

Posted on by Brian Harris

EnviroLogix Inc. offers the world’s most comprehensive, quantitative decision-point screening diagnostic for GMO corn testing with the introduction of the 10-trait QuickComb.

Portland, ME, January 29, 2019 – EnviroLogix Inc. launches the 10-trait QuickComb, now including Duracade™, for corn bulk grain quantitative testing in support of Non-GMO testing programs.

“With the introduction of the industry’s only 10-trait corn comb, EnviroLogix further demonstrates our commitment to customers needing the most comprehensive quantitative decision-point GMO diagnostics for use in the grain handling and processing, animal feed, and export industries,” said Bill Welch, President of EnviroLogix Inc.. “When used in conjunction with our QuickScan II instrument, customers experience the most advanced quantitative solution, along with a traceability system to support claims, using a single test with results in less than ten minutes.”

Duracade, a corn rootworm-resistant trait, has been fully deregulated by the USDA since 2013, and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture granted import approval of corn grain and processing co-products for food and feed use in 2017. More recently, in May of 2018, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a positive scientific opinion that will now proceed to the Standing Committee of representatives to complete the authorization process of final import approval for the European Union.

Welch continued, “Potential regulatory changes permitting the import of Duracade will increase the number of approved countries from fifteen to more than forty. As a result, the need to segregate corn bulk grain containing Duracade in addition to other commercialized GMO traits, for animal feed markets versus human consumption will increase significantly. The 10-trait QuickComb will facilitate grain segregation for importers and exporters to mitigate disruptions in the global supply chain.”

Along with Agrisure Duracade, the new 10-trait GMO comb from EnviroLogix also detects the following: Roundup Ready®; LibertyLink®; YieldGard® Corn Borer, Rootworm, and VT Pro®; Herculex® I and RW; and Agrisure® RW and Viptera® and various stacks of these traits. GMO traits serve crop growers by expressing proteins that allow the plant to better resist pests and herbicides. The addition of Duracade to the EnviroLogix 10-trait QuickComb enables the most comprehensive, critical decision-point GMO testing where EnviroLogix’ customers need it most.

EnviroLogix Inc. is a leading producer of GMO and mycotoxin tests serving the food and feed safety markets. The company continues to provide innovative solutions as the sole supplier of on-site quantitative GMO protein detection and were the first to offer LFD technology for mycotoxin screening in grain. EnviroLogix’ dedication to scientific innovation and providing exceptional solutions for today’s identity-preservation and food-safety supply chains remains at the forefront.

For more information about EnviroLogix Inc. and the quantitative GMO 10-trait corn bulk grain test, visit the QuickComb for QuickScan – Corn page.

Storage Under Pressure: Squeezing This Year’s Crop for Max Value

Posted on by Susan Whipkey

With unprecedented bushels per acre numbers projected a month ago, the U.S. was looking like it was headed for the largest corn harvest in history. Though recently those yield projections retreated a bit, overall numbers look like we’ll see another bumper crop of corn this year.

As is the case when corn acreage and yields are high, two factors come in to play: downward pressure on prices and less-than-ideal storage solutions, including bags, open bins, and ground piles.

In order to squeeze out the maximum value of this year’s harvest, grain handlers need to mitigate post-harvest losses due to damage, infestation, and especially mycotoxin contamination, by properly storing and monitoring corn.

Storage practices need to be adequate to protect the value of what’s being stored, distilled down to 4 factors:

1. Moisture: Mold needs moisture to grow so when you reduce your moisture content you improve your chances of winning the fight against mycotoxin producing molds. It is recommended to reduce the amount of moisture as early as possible and to keep the percent moisture at 14% or less.

2. Temperature: Keep cool and even temperatures by using proper aeration.  Why?  Keeping the temperature cool will make the environment less favorable for insects. Keeping the temperature even will reduce the chance of condensation that can occur from drastic temperature changes.

3. Insects: Control insects or mitigate insects. Insects can damage grain with digging, chewing and leaving waste, leaving it more susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. They can also bring in additional moisture.

4. Damage: Remember the old adage “quality in quality out”?  Damaged grain is more susceptible to mycotoxin contamination.  Separate or sell damaged grain to limit its incorporation into high-quality stored grains.

storage animation: moisture, temperature, damage, and insects

Monitoring incoming and stored commodities is critical to protecting value.

Remember that weather conditions are not a guarantee of either presence or absence of mycotoxins, and reliance upon rumors either way is foolhardy at best and costly at its worst.  Begin with testing incoming grain to set a baseline understanding of the grain quality in your area, then continue to monitor stored grains, whether in bins, piles, or bags.  Cool weather is no guarantee to keep molds and mycotoxins at bay, as temperatures and moisture levels especially in the center of a ground pile can climb without proper aeration.

It is generally recommended to inspect stored corn weekly during fall and spring, and once or twice a month during winter, so any potential for loss can be addressed immediately.

By regularly testing your grain, you can assure that your storage practices are working effectively, and you’ll achieve the maximum value when it’s time to sell.

A list of EnviroLogix’ most popular mycotoxin test kits for use with the EnviroLogix QuickScan II quantitative GMO and mycotoxin detection instrument appears below:

Contact us if you have questions or concerns about how mycotoxin contamination might be present in the grain in your supply chain. We can be reached at (866) 408-4597 or info@envirologix.com.

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Name that strip!

Posted on by Daryn Daniluk

You may be moving corn for a Non-GMO Identity Program (IP), or you may be a farmer desiring a Non-GMO premium on thousands of acres of corn. The last thing anyone wants is GMO to be found while the product is headed for premium non-GMO markets. With all the GMO seed products on the market today, it is hard to keep track of which strip tests for what. Your neighbors could be buying and planting various GMO traits this spring. Wouldn’t it would be great to know what, exactly, is in your corn? Our non-GMO corn combs have as many as nine strips.  People often ask us, “what do all those strips do?” Because it is a full-time job to keep up on what GMO traits are present in any given seed, our corn comb is designed to detect the GMO protein in corn that is currently on the market. That way, you will be able to detect any and all GMO present in the corn coming through your facility, or in the seed that you are about to plant.

Our strips fall into three broad categories of trait detection:

  1. Herbicide tolerance,
  2. Lepidoptera managment, and
  3. Coleopteran management.

The first category refers to weed suppression. You’ve most likely heard of Roundup Ready. It was the first widely available trait in corn and it was a game changer. The second trait in this category that is detected by our corn comb is Liberty Link. Like Roundup Ready, it puts another powerful tool in the farmer’s tool box when dealing with competitive vegetation.

The next group is Lepidoptera managers. This is the genus of insect that Corn Borers fall into. ‘Cry’ proteins (GMO) kill insects and it is one of the most well-studied, well-characterized proteins in history. There are thousands of variations that have different effects on bugs. The ones that kill corn borers are Cry1, Cry1AB, Cry1F, and Vip3A…Vip proteins are fascinating in their own right, but we’ll write about that in a future article.

Last on our list are the Coleoptera managers, that mitigate potentially devastating pests such as root worms. In certain applications, these proteins are expressed specifically in root tissue keeping the protein where it is needed. No energy is wasted by expressing it in leaf tissue, for example. The proteins fatal to root worms are Cry3B, Cry34, and modified Cry3A.

Here is a Quick glance at the 9 strips that help you detect the presence of GMO.

Strip Name Commercial Product Function
C1 Cry1A YieldGard Bt11 Corn Borer/lepidopteran
RR Roundup Ready Agrisure, Optimum, Enlist, and others Herbicide Resistance
C3 Cry3B YieldGard Rootworm Rootworm/coleopteran
1F Cry1F Herculex, PowerCore, and Acremax Corn Borer/lepidopteran
LP Liberty Link Agrisure, SmartStax, Herculex, Optimum, and others Herbicide Resistance
34 Cry34 SmartStax, Herculex RW Rootworm/coleopteran
3A Modified Cry3A Agrisure Rootworm MIR604 Rootworm/coleopteran
C2 Cry2A Genuity/PowerCore Corn Borer/lepidopteran
VP Vip3A Viptera, MIR162 Corn Borer/lepidopteran

Poor Corn + Moisture = Mycotoxins?

Posted on by Brian Harris

Growing conditions and moisture levels are critical factors in the overall health of growing corn crops. Mycotoxin contamination can start in the field if fungi infect corn ears. The risk of pre-harvest fungal growth goes up if the condition of the crop is reported to be less than optimal (e.g., damaged by weather or insects). Another factor that increases the risk even further is moisture throughout the growing season.

Ultimately, corn that is growing in locations in which crop conditions have been classified as fair, poor, or very poor; and at the same time have been subjected to a persistently moist environment are at heightened risk for yielding grain that is contaminated with mycotoxins.

2018 Corn Crop Growing Condition as of August 22nd
State % of corn crop conditions reported
as fair, poor, or very poor
Illinois 24%
Indiana 30%
Iowa 28%
Kansas 71%
Kentucky 27%
Michigan 20%
Minnesota 23%
Missouri 71%
Montana 32%
Nebraska 17%
North Dakota 18%
Ohio 22%
Oklahoma 20%
South Dakota 33%
Tennessee 35%
Wisconsin 24%

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center database was used to identify at-risk regions with persistently moist growing conditions. The Soil Moisture Map (inset) shows persistently high levels of moisture (dark green) in several corn-growing US states from May 31st to August 27th.

Comparing this information to the corn crop quality as determined by the USDA Crop Progress and Conditions Report (see table) indicates several corn-producing states are at risk of corn crops that are contaminated by mycotoxins.

According to the Climate Prediction Center, the following states have had consistently anomalous soil moisture: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Those states have also had double-digit percentage of fair, poor, or very poor growing conditions for corn; as have Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The table below indicates those levels.

This animation overlays the soil moisture data from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center with that of the crop conditions from the USDA Crop Progress and Prediction Report.

Sporadic reports of mycotoxin contamination have already begun to filter in as harvest season for many grains gets underway across the US. Not all crops are affected, but it’s essential to establish whether contamination has occurred in your supply chain and at what level.

If you or your suppliers are in the affected areas where factors conducive to mycotoxin contamination are prevalent, EnviroLogix strongly recommends careful sampling and testing. EnviroLogix makes a variety of test kits for testing mycotoxins in most grain types.

A list of EnviroLogix’ most popular mycotoxin test kits for use with the EnviroLogix QuickScan II quantitative GMO and mycotoxin detection instrument appears below:

Contact us if you have questions or concerns about how mycotoxin contamination might be present in the grain in your supply chain. We can be reached at (866) 408-4597 or info@envirologix.com.

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Mycotoxins in Non-GMO Feed Grains

Posted on by Brian Harris

Eager to supply the growing demand for organically produced milk and meat, many farms are testing corn, soy, and other feed components for GMOs. But what about mycotoxins?

The limited supply of non-GMO organic grains, which we wrote about last time, sometimes forces buyers to accept more broken and imperfect grains…the most susceptible to fungal infestation and possibly the development of mycotoxins, a toxic byproduct of certain fungi.

Some mycotoxins not only reduce yields, but also cause irreparable harm and even death. Whether feeding pigs, cattle, or poultry, mycotoxin testing is crucial to the success and profitability of organic milk and meat production.

For example, pigs are extremely sensitive to mycotoxins; breeding losses and hampered weight gain can reduce margins to the point of non-profitability. Mycotoxins are detrimental to poultry as well, one of the fastest-growing segments of organic demand. With effects such as poor gut integrity and gizzard erosion, broiler, turkey, and egg production margins are at risk.

The U.S. FDA regulates mycotoxin levels in food and feed, but organic producers are limited in their mycotoxin risk management and health prevention tools. By testing frequently along the feed supply chain, farmers, suppliers and producers alike can be confident in the animals’ health and better capitalize on this growing market.

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QuickScan II AOAC certified with DON Flex

Posted on by Brian Harris

121701 EnviroLogix QuickScan DONflexPortland, ME, August 7, 2018 – Portland, Maine. EnviroLogix Inc. is pleased to announce that its newest QuickScan II Reader System (ACC-331) has been certified through the AOAC® Performance Tested Methods℠ Program for use with the DON Flex mycotoxin kit (Cat. No. AQ-304-BG; AOAC® PTM #121701).

QuickScan II SystemThe QuickScan II System is validated for testing commodities destined for human consumption and animal feed.

According to Alex Miller, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development at EnviroLogix, “We continue to take our mycotoxin kits and reader systems through the AOAC PTM process to provide our customers with the added confidence that comes with certification from this globally recognized association. EnviroLogix products, including our newest QuickScan II Reader System, offer best in class performance and reproducibility; approval through AOAC helps to bring awareness to this.”

AOAC International (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) is an international association and voluntary consensus standards developing organization. QuickTox StripsAOAC standards are used globally to promote trade and to facilitate public health and safety.

For more information…

  • Learn more about the QuickScan II Reader System (ACC-331).
  • Learn more about the DON Flex mycotoxin kit (Cat. No. AQ-304-BG).
  • Learn more about AOAC International and AOAC certification.

EnviroLogix Announces QuickScan II

Posted on by Brian Harris

EnviroLogix Inc.’s history as a technology innovator for the global agricultural diagnostic markets continues with the introduction of the next generation QuickScan II instrument for quantitative GMO and mycotoxin testing.

Portland, ME, July 9, 2018 – EnviroLogix Inc. launched QuickScan II, the next generation scanner for quantifying GMOs and mycotoxins (such as aflatoxin) for the grain, processing, and feed industries. The QuickScan platform was built for rapid detection of GMOs and mycotoxins in crops critical to the grain, distilling, ethanol processing, livestock feed, and pet food industries.

“With the introduction of the QuickScan II, EnviroLogix is delivering enhanced features and capability to our already best-in-class quantitative GMO and mycotoxin testing platform.” said Bill Welch, President of EnviroLogix Inc.. “Our partnership with the world’s leading seed, grain, animal feed, and pet food providers enables us to uniquely understand their increasing demand for improving operational efficiencies. The QuickScan II provides enhancements to meet these needs on a platform they already know and trust.”

QuickScan II extends the platform’s robust offering to improve operational efficiency. The instrument boasts expanded testing capabilities within a streamlined footprint; bringing exciting new functionality and an expanded test carrier that allows up to 22 tests to be scanned simultaneously, while requiring less space in the testing environment.

As data management needs evolve, QuickScan II enhances the platform’s capabilities for inventory tracking, quality measurement, and offering refined graphics and analytics for better decision making.

Across the markets EnviroLogix serves, the demand for stricter compliance is always rising. To aid in driving compliance, the QuickScan II expands the platform’s functionality, including user authentication, enhanced intelligence for flagging duplicate reads, and maintenance reminders and enforcement.

According to Jason Lee, Senior Business Unit Manager, “QuickScan II offers our customers benefits throughout their organization, making their jobs easier while facilitating improvements in efficiency and traceability; giving added confidence that they’re delivering on their quality standards.”

EnviroLogix Inc. is a leading producer of mycotoxin and GMO tests serving the food and feed safety market. The company continues to provide innovative solutions to its markets and was the first to offer LFD technology for mycotoxin screening in grain. EnviroLogix’s commitment to scientific innovation and providing exceptional solutions for today’s identity-preservation and food-safety environments remains at the forefront with the introduction of QuickScan II.

New GMO Soy Traits

Posted on by Brian Harris

More and more US farmers are electing to plant soybean varieties with multiple modes of herbicide tolerance. Stacking these herbicide traits in soy gives farmers the flexibility to use the most effective chemical tools available to control a broad spectrum of weeds.

In addition to flexibility, the use of multiple herbicides with different sites of action also allows farmers to help control the propagation of herbicide resistant weeds, a major challenge facing the industry. Two new herbicide resistant soybean varieties have been developed and are being released to the US market: Balance GT soybeans and Enlist E3 soybeans. The Enlist E3 soybean is tolerant to the following herbicides: 2,4-D Choline (2,4-D), Glyphosate (e.g. Roundup), and Glufosinate (Liberty). While Enlist soybeans have not received import approval from China, Enlist E3 soybeans have been planted this year in a closed-loop program administered by DOW and ADM for the domestic soy market. Enlist E3 soybeans can be detected with the EnviroLogix LibertyLink (PAT/pat) lateral flow strip included in the bulk soybean QuickComb.

MS Technologies, Bayer, and Mertec LLC have collaborated to develop the Balance GT soybean system. The foreign import permits have been received for this variety but the US EPA has not approved the new herbicide utilized, Isoxaflutole. The Balance GT variety will be a stack of 2mepsps to allow for glyphosate resistance and HPPD w336 which allows for resistance to Isoxaflutole. In 2019 a Balance variety will be released that includes an additional trait allowing for resistance to a 3rd herbicide, Liberty.

What do these new soy varieties mean for organizations involved with the origination of Non-GMO soybeans? The EnviroLogix QuickComb kit for bulk soybeans provides complete trait detection coverage for the 2018 harvest to insure the success of your Non-GMO program.

Questions? Need sampling plan development guidance? Rely on EnviroLogix and its decades of industry support and innovation to insure your success.

 

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Q2’18 Tech Tip from EnviroLogix Tech Support

Posted on by Brian Harris

Sampling

Getting ready for the busy season means planning for how to receive grain. Let’s examine the statistics of grain sampling. When you’re testing a truck or a barge, you unfortunately can’t test every kernel or bean. When you’re testing inbound corn or beans, the best outcome you can have is a fair reading for each particular truck. The goal is for the sample you take to test to be as close as possible to a representation of the truck’s true score. When we accomplish this, the farmer gets their well-deserved premium for the hard work of growing a quality crop, and you can be confident the material you’re moving downstream is of the highest quality and satisfies your customers’ needs. If there are low levels of GMOs or mycotoxins present on that truck, you want to sample enough grain, and from enough places on the truck, to find them.

So, how do we find low levels of GMOs or mycotoxins? In sampling, size matters! If you only sample a small amount from only one corner of the shipment, there’s a very good chance you won’t find them. You’re better off looking at grain from each corner, and even the middle of the shipment. When you’re sampling a truck, take as large a sample as you can reasonably handle. We suggest a 3 to 4-pound sample. If you always look for GMOs or mycotoxins in the same spot in every shipment, you’re far less likely to find them. Make sure you are probing 3 to 7 different spots with your hydraulic probe. See the diagram at right for examples.

Push the probe to the bottom, open it, and draw up. To the same point you want to mix that 3 to 4-pound sample as much as possible. Put the sample over a divider and grind as much as is practical in your probe stand (the GIPSA Sampling handbook can be found here).

Weigh out the sample you will test, and with this fair sampling, you can be more confident you’re providing the best answer possible for both your company, and for the farmer. If the sample is close to cutoff (for example, a 1.1% where your cutoff is 1%), and you have the time, take a second sample from your collected corn or beans, regrind, and retest. Go with the average score of the two tests (not the better of the two scores). The best way to keep our growers happy, and to continue providing product for Identity Preservation programs, is to sample fairly and to properly detect GMOs or mycotoxins when they can be found.

Download a primer for sampling grain from a flat-bottom truck.

 

Proper Pipette Position

The best way to be fair in your testing is to perform the protocol as accurately as possible. When using your mini-pipette, make sure you hold it plumb vertically.

Tipping to the side can cause the liquid to roll back into the pipette, further reducing your accuracy and quality of testing.

If you ever have any questions, or just want to talk to someone about your testing, Tech Service is here for you.

Give us a call at (866)408-4597 X 2, or email techsupport@envirologix.com.

 

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USDA Releases Proposed GMO Labeling Rules

Posted on by Brian Harris

Congress enacted The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard Law on July 29, 2016; and more recently the USDA released a proposed rule regarding the labeling of bioengineered foods and how this should be communicated to the public. The standard is currently open for public comment. Per Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue “We are looking for public input on a number of these key decisions before a final rule is issued later this year.” The 60-day open comment period will be closing on July 3rd. The proposed rule can be viewed and comments can be submitted here. Some of the important points that the USDA is looking for public comment on are:

  • Definition of bioengineered: will new genetic techniques like genetic editing (CRISPR, TALEN, etc.), RNAi, and others require labeling?
  • Will highly refined ingredients that originate from bioengineered foods, but do not have nucleic products that can be detected via common test methods, require labeling?
  • At what threshold are products considered bioengineered? 0.9%, 5%, and 10% have been proposed.
  • Will bioengineered levels be determined by ingredient or by product weight?
  • How will the bioengineered label be communicated to consumers: text claims, digital codes (QR), symbols, or text message based inquiries?

More information from the USDA on the National Bioengineering Food Disclosure Law is available via a pre-recorded webinar found here.

As you contemplate the impact that the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law may have on your organizations, use EnviroLogix as an informed industry resource. We’re here to supply the diagnostic solutions and implementation guidance to insure your organization is well positioned to comply with this new law.

 

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Report from the CRISPR-Ag Bio Conference

Posted on by Brian Harris

On March 28, USDA Secretary Perdue issued a statement clarifying the department’s oversight of plants produced by new gene editing techniques, including CRISPR. With the USDA’s focus on protecting plant health, gene edited plants that do not contain genetic material from ‘plant pests’, such as viral DNA, will not require their standard regulatory process.

At the recent CRISPR-Ag Bio conference in San Diego, California, several representatives from the USDA spoke about the Secretary’s statement and regulatory status of gene edited plants. The speakers emphasized the USDA’s stance to regulate products, not processes. This is not unfamiliar territory – plants that have been exposed to mutation-inducing chemicals or radiation are not subject to the USDA regulatory process because the mutations induced are not derived from plant pests and are comparable to genetic changes that occur naturally in plants.

Gene edited crops that fall into one of the following categories are likewise considered comparable to natural genetic change:

  1. Sequence deletions
  2. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)
  3. Sequence introduction from a compatible organism
  4. Complete null segregants

The USDA also emphasized their commitment to providing regulatory certainty to the agricultural community. The department is looking to develop a framework for regulation that adapts to future innovation, includes “off-ramps” for plants that do not require plant health regulation, and ensures that neither the department, nor plant breeders and innovators waste time in repetitive reviews. The USDA is, of course, a government agency that welcomes comments and input from the agricultural community on policy and procedures – during their talks, the speakers emphasized that they seek unique comments and input. Although an adjacent process to plant health regulation, the USDA is in the open comment period through July 3rd for the Bioengineered Food Disclosure Act.

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