Assessment of Maize Food Products in the Kenyan Market for Presence of Genetic Elements and Proteins from Genetically Modified Organisms

Abstract

Transgenic crops were grown in at least 29 countries and by over 15.4M farmers, covering 148M ha of land worldwide by 2010. In 2001, Kenya introduced cry1Ab and cry1Ba genes for research purposes to control lepidopteran maize stem-borer pests and not for commercial. In 2009 the Kenya Biosafety Bill was assented into law. Nevertheless, Kenya imports foods from countries that grow GM crops. This study assessed maize food products in the Kenyan markets for inadvertent presence of genes and proteins from selected GMOs and the possibility of ‘gene-flow’ to the surrounding maize farms due to growing of Bt maize in confined field trial (CFT) sites at KARI-Kiboko in 2005–2006 period. The target sample (120) was obtained using multistage sampling technique. Conventional PCR and lateral-strip methods were used to analyse the target sample sourced variously as seed, flour and flour products. About 6.7% of the 120 samples tested positive for cry1Ab gene and Cry1Ab protein, but were negative for cry1Ba gene. Besides, no gene-flow was detected within the vicinity of the Kiboko CFT site (confirming that the regulatory measures employed during the CFTs at Kiboko were effective). These findings indicate that there are GMOs in the maize grain imports into Kenya. Thus NBA and KEPHIS should put foolproof measures including labelling requirements in place to eliminate illegal imports of GM maize food products. Further research should be undertaken on the quantification of GMOs in the maize food products in Kenya. Key words: Cry1Ab, Cry1Ba, Biosafety, Genetically Modified (GM), Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), Labelling, Bt maize.