A new national survey finds American consumer support remains strong for foods produced through biotechnology. The Wirthlin survey, conducted for the International Food Information Council (IFIC) in February 1999, asked 1,000 U.S. adult consumers about their attitudes toward food biotechnology. Most of the new survey questions had been asked in an IFIC-commissioned March 1997 Wirthlin survey.
The study shows consumers trust United States regulatory safeguards. Four of five Americans (78%) support the current U.S., Food and Drug Administrations labeling policy for biotech foods, which requires that foods produced through biotechnology be labeled only if the food has been significantly changed. Even when given the opposing view of some critics, consumers are more likely to agree with the labeling position of the FDA (58%) over that of others who want all biotech foods to be labeled.
The potential benefits of biotechnology evoke positive reactions for Americans. Three out of four consumers (75%) say they believe biotechnology will provide consumer benefits in the next five years. Sixty two percent of consumers (up 7% from 1997) would be likely to buy produce "that had been modified to taste better or fresher." Four out of five (77%) consumers say they would be likely to buy produce if it had been modified by biotechnology to provide protection against insect damage, resulting in less use of pesticides. In addition, over half of Americans say the benefit of producing cooking oil with reduced saturated fat would positively affect their purchasing decision.
While less than 20 percent of consumers feel they are very well informed about biotechnology, Americans still like what they are hearing about the health and environmental benefits of food biotechnology. A copy of the survey results can be obtained at IFIC Foundation Online: http://ific.org.
