The Food and Drink Federation and the British Retail Consortium have worked together to produce a technical standard to help all parts of the supply chain source fully traceable non-GM maize and soya. The document will also be useful to companies involved in legal disputes over GM content or labelling, as adherence to it will demonstrate they have taken adequate steps to comply with EU legislation. It is hoped the document will also cut the additional costs associated with traceability by reducing the need for inspections and enabling smaller companies to supply non-GM materials. BRC technical expert John Morris said the document could easily be applied to other crops, such as wheat, potatoes and rape seed, as it identifies key aspects of any identity preserved system. The NFU welcomed the standard but said EC requirements for GM labelling would be difficult to meet given testing methods' lack credibility and consistency. {{NEWS }}