Summary Two TaqMan™‐polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems have been developed which permit the detection of even minute amounts of beef and pork in processed foods. In these methods cattle‐specific primers amplified a fragment from the phosphodiesterase gene having a length of 104 base pairs (bp), and the swine‐specific primers amplified a fragment from the ryanodin gene having a length of 108 bp. Beyond this, a third TaqMan™‐PCR system, developed on the basis of the detection of the myostatin gene, permits a reliable exclusion of false‐negative results by detecting meat from a variety of mammals or poultry in the material to be tested.

Insect resistant Bt 176 maize has been developed by genetic modification to resist European borer infection. In the present investigation, the experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding a new hybrid of Bt 176 maize (NX 6262- Bt 176) on general health condition and performance of broiler chickens. Maize grains and diets were subjected to proximate analysis. Amino and fatty acids investigation were applied for both maize grains before used. To evaluate the degradation of NX 6262- Bt 176 maize DNA and its metabolic fate in broiler blood, muscles and organs. One-day-old male broilers were fed ad libitum on either an experimental diet containing NX 6262- Bt 176 or a control diet containing the non-modified maize grains for 35 days. Feed consumption and body weight were recorded weekly during the experimental period. All chickens were subjected to nutritional evaluation period at day 20 of age for 5 successive days, to calculate the percentage of apparent digestible nutrients in both diets. At day 35 samples were collected at several intervals after feed withdrawal. Prior to slaughter blood samples were collected from all birds by heart puncture to prevent DNA cross contamination. Samples from pectoral and thigh muscles, liver, spleen, kidney, heart muscle, bursa and thymus glands were collected. Digesta from different sections of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) were collected as well. Packed cell volume (PCV) and some serum parameters were investigated. There were no significant differences between control and experimental group concerning chemical composition of feeds, apparent digestible nutrients, and all performance parameters measured (P> 0.05). Furthermore, there were no differences in the PCV and the analysed serum parameters between the control and experimental group. The results of maize DNA digestibility showed that the new variety takes the normal physiological passage along broiler GIT similar to the conventional line. In addition, Bt 176 maize DNA appears to be partially degraded in different parts of GIT comparable to the DNA of the control maize line. Results of the metabolic fate of maize DNA in broiler blood, muscles and organs indicated that only short DNA fragments (199 bp) derived from the plant chloroplast gene could be detected in the blood, skeletal muscles, liver, spleen and kidney, which disappeared after prolongation the fasting time. In heart muscle, bursa of Fabricius and thymus, no plant chloroplast DNA was found. Bt gene specific constructs from Bt 176 maize were not detected in any investigated blood or tissue samples.

Different TaqMan TM -polymerase chain reaction systems have been developed, which allow the detection of even minute amounts of beef, pork, lamb, goat, chicken, turkey and duck in processed foods. The speciesspecific systems are able to amplify DNA regions with no more than 108 bp in size (exception: duck, 212 bp) located on the single-copy genes cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cyclic GMP) phosphodiesterase, ryanodine receptor and interleukin-2 precursor. The parallel detection of the common ingredient 'meat' produced from mammals and poultry was based on the amplification of a region of the myostatin gene. The limit of detection was determined to be ten genome copies for each system. The relative SD under repeatability condition was below 30%. In addition, a 'ready-to-use' reaction plate has been developed, which makes it possible to investigate the presence of the seven animal species in parallel after a single real-time run.

The Council of Europe created an outline for a vigilant system of undesirable effects of cosmetic products in 2006. In 2013, some of those aspects were included in the European Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009. Since then, serious undesirable effects (SUEs), which are the tip of the iceberg of all undesirable effects of cosmetic products, have to be reported to competent authorities. Neglecting the first phase of establishing the system, we have about two years of experience regarding the notification of SUEs. This notification system is based on a huge amount of cases that allow us to identify occurring problems at an early stage through a signal of increased reported cases for a certain product. It has already been shown that the system is able to identify products that have the potential to cause health risks even if they seem to comply with the legal requirements and the safeguard clause was applied. Until May 2016, 680 cases of SUEs were shared in the EU. The statistics of SUEs indicate that hair dyes and skin care products are the product types that cause the most SUEs. Almost 80% of all SUEs occurred in the head area, especially the skin of the face was affected.

Silage from a genetically modified potato expressing the 1-SST (sucurose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase) and the 1-FFT (fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase) was used in a feeding experiment with pigs. After a feeding period of 42 days samples from various organs and digesta were collected and investigated with four different real time PCR systems, in order to identify the fate of the foreign DNA. No plant specific DNA or DNA specific for the genome alteration in the transgenic potato were detected in any organ. In contrast, chloroplast specific DNA was detected in the digesta of duodenum, jejunum, colon and rectum. The single-copy metallo-carboxypeptidase inhibitor gene sequence was detected only in samples from the stomach content of pigs fed the isogenic potato and in those from duodenum and jejunum of animals fed the transgenic one. No evidence for the integration of the foreign DNA into the host genome was observed.