Our local newspaper today carried an article on a survey about genetically
modified foods. The article stated that although as much as 80 percent of
processed food in the U.S. has a component from a genetically crop, only 26
percent of Americans think they’ve ever eaten such food.  52 percent of the
survey respondents were aware, however, that genetically modified food
products are in supermarkets.

According to the article food biotechnology just isn’t much of a concern
for many people. 77 percent of the respondents admitted they knew little or
nothing about it, and 27 percent said they were comfortable with
genetically modified foods. Among those who disapproved the willingness to
buy such foods increased if they were told the modification made the items
have less fat (30 percent), taste better (24 percent), or cost less (12
percent).

Some misperceptions according to survey responses to a true-false test on
biotechnology:

 40 percent of respondents falsely thought tomatoes genetically
modified with genes from catfish would taste “fishy.”

 52 percent wrongly thought that genetically modified foods are
created using radiation to create genetic mutations.

 31 percent mistakenly believed that eating genetically modified
fruit could modify a person’s genes.

 43 percent falsely asserted that ordinary tomatoes don’t contain
genes, only those that are genetically modified have genes.

 However, 76 percent did know that live yeast is used to make beer.

The survey of 1201 adults was funded by the USDA.

Regards,
Dick Allen

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