Oeko-Tex, that provides standardised solutions which optimise customers’ manufacturing processes and help deliver high quality and. sustainable products, has launched genetically modified organisms (GMO) test for organic cotton. With GMO, a molecular level indicator, companies can test whether or not cotton products meet a fundamental definition of organic. At present, about 70 per cent of cotton
globally is genetically altered. For example, some forms of cotton have been engineered to be herbicide-resistant. Others have been infused with an insecticide to kill pests like boll weevils. While the industry can make strong arguments in favour of these cotton DNA modifications, the producers and consumers of organic cotton reject them. They place greater value on the environmental, social, and product safety paybacks that they perceive organic cotton offers. To qualify as organic and to be marketed as such, cotton must meet a comprehensive list of criteria governing the cultivation, processing, and segregation of the cotton. One major requirement is that the cotton plants cannot be
genetically engineered. New GMO testing by Oeko-Tex provides a straightforward manner to test for genetically modified organisms in organic cotton.
