May 20/Journal of Technology & Science -- According to recent research from Zaragoza, Spain, "Immunoassays are used to screen for the presence of genetically modified organisms in raw materials. However, processing may condition the usefulness of immunoassays to analyse genetically modified foods because it leads to protein denaturation that affects recognition by antibodies."
"We studied the effect of processing on the detection of Cry1A(b) protein in model foods prepared with transgenic maize using a sandwich ELISA. Nixtamalization at 100 A degrees C for five minutes and at 85 A degrees C for 60 minutes gave 40 and 70% loss of Cry1A(b) protein. In the preparation of porridge, the concentration of Cry1A(b) protein did not change until the mixture reached 75 A degrees C, but it decreased by 90% after three minutes at that temperature," wrote R. Deluis and colleagues, University of Zaragoza.