COMTEX Newswire | December 13, 1999 | By Myrle Croasdale, Bridge News Chicago
US consumer acceptance of foods made from genetically modified organisms has begun to slip, according to a survey by the International Food Information Council, a Washington-based group funded by the food industry to provide public information on food safety and research.
The IFIC first ran a survey of consumer attitudes on food biotechnology in 1997 and repeated it in February and October 1999. Approximately 1,000 telephone interviews were conducted for each survey. David Schmidt with the IFIC attributed part of the decline in what had been a relatively positive outlook in the US compared with that in the European Union to increased media coverage of those protesting GMO use. The recent World Trade Organization talks, which highlighted the EU's reluctance to discuss the approval process for genetically modified grain, didn't help proponents of GMOs, he said.
Despite all the publicity on bioengineered crops, Schmidt said the public was unaware of their prevalence in food. Speaking at a recent seed industry meeting, he said the survey revealed that only 38% of respondents thought such food was available in supermarkets. Those who did think biotech foods were on grocery shelves thought that the bulk were fruits and vegetables. Only 3% said soy-derived foods came with a biotech link, and just 9% thought corn was produced through biotechnology. Asked whether they were likely to buy a food produced through biotechnology, like a tomato, if it tasted better or fresher, 51% said yes in the October survey, down from 62% in February. Those who said they were likely to buy a biotech product, if the technology involved meant fewer pesticides were needed, was 67% in October, dropping from 77% in February. Asked whether they would have a positive or negative response to knowing that cooking oil with reduced saturated fat came from new biotech plants, only 42% said it would have a positive influence on their purchasing decision, compared with 57% in February. On the subject of voluntary labeling to indicate GMO or GMO-free content in food, in the October survey 50% agreed with the FDA that such labeling was unnecessary, while 45% agreed with those in favor of voluntary labeling. This showed an increase in those supporting voluntary labeling from the February survey, where 58% were behind the FDA and 37% were in favor of groups critical of the FDA's stance.
STEPS TO PROMOTE GMO ACCEPTANCE
Schmidt, a supporter of biotechnology in the seed and food industries, said there were several steps proponents could take to promote or at least stabilize acceptance of GMOs. "We've got to get away from GMO terminology," he said, using biotechnology or biotech crops instead, because "organism" and "genetically modified" conjure up images of laboratories and toxic chemicals among most consumers. He said many consumers thought GMOs were not grown from seed but were raised in laboratories. Biotechnology needs more aggressive public relations, he said, because mainstream consumers are mostly unaware of its nutritional and environmental benefits. They don't know Bt corn looks just like a normal seed and grows into a typical-looking corn stalk.
Schmidt said that to develop consumer acceptance of GMOs in the US, industry leaders needed to acknowledge consumer values, respect public concerns and show that biotechnology is not a revolutionary change but a continuation of current agricultural practices.
