EFSA Publishes Supporting Publication on DNA Removal from fermentation Products

More and more products that enter our food-chain are produced by fermentation and a significant portion of them is making use of genetically modified microorganisms. EFSA emphasizes that residual DNA from production strains may pose a hazard if genes of concern (e.g., AMR genes) are present, making DNA removal a critical safety measure.

To avoid the unintentional spread of residual DNA from GMM’s in the environment and food chain, EFSA focuses on robust testing and manufacturing controls to minimize residual DNA in the product.

To support applicants of enzyme dossiers, the EFSA was asked to provide an overview of successfully applied DNA removal strategies in existing processes. After the evaluation of 50 different applications covering different segments (food, feed, and ingredients) and using a broad spectrum of GM production strains, the EFSA published the following report:

Technical assistance on existing processes to remove recombinant DNA from fermentation products produced with genetically modified microorganisms

Key Highlights of the report:

• Based on the available data, it has been observed that at least one process to remove the biomass and one process to purify the product are necessary to remove residual DNA, each process including one or more steps.

• Nuclease treatment is the only step that deliberately degrades free residual DNA and is successfully applied in applications to remove recombinant DNA from fermentation products

  Our product NuCLEANase^® is a highly active nuclease and especially developed for the removal of residual DNA from fermentation derived products intended for food, feed, and ingredient applications.