Survey finds consumers still concerned about safety of GM foods
By Surya Zeeb
Published: January 28, 2020
Category: GMO News, The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter
A recent poll found that 52 percent of United Kingdom consumers would be less likely to eat a food if they knew it was genetically modified. Forty-four percent of the 1,139 respondents characterized their perception of GM foods as “negative” or “extremely negative.”
Northern Connectors, a supplier of industrial components, conducted the survey. Overall, the results highlight deep divisions over the safety, impact, and labeling of GMOs, as well as a widespread desire for more transparent information to guide consumer choice.
Twenty-seven percent of respondents thought GM foods more likely to cause serious illnesses such as cancer; 46 percent said they didn’t know.
Northern Connectors’ Scott Jones cited a “widespread lack of understanding” by the public about eating GM foods; a quarter of respondents thought diseases including mad cow, foot and mouth disease, and a 2005 E. coli outbreak were linked to GM food.
Fifty-nine percent believe they have a good understanding of what goes into their food, with 28 percent checking nutritional information very often. Thirty-four percent say they sometimes eat GM foods, with 18 percent saying they rarely do. Seventy-eight percent say GMOs should be more clearly labeled, and 63 percent said food manufacturers and producers should be responsible for this.
Comments include concerns about the “unnatural” aspect of GMOs, less nutritional value, links to disease, corporate involvement, and lack of openness. Also mentioned were GM food as a solution to world hunger, better yields, and improved nutrition.
Source: New Food; Northern Connectors
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