April 19, 2001

Consumer’s Show Little Concern Over Biotechnology Issues

Only a small number of consumers say "altered/engineered food" is something they are concerned about when it comes to food safety according to a recent survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC).

"Overall the view is fairly positive toward biotechnology," according to Julie Garden-Robinson, North Dakota State University Extension Service food and nutrition specialist. "Many people have heard about it but when it comes right down to it, when asked to rate their knowledge, it’s very limited."

Garden-Robinson says the use of biotechnology has been around for more than 25 years. Products have been modified to provide for longer shelf life, be more nutritious, or in the case of some carbonated beverages, the sweetener in the drink has been modified.

"Most consumers have no idea that many of the products they buy every day at the grocery store are actually products of biotechnology because it isn’t a mandate that all these products are labeled," notes Garden-Robinson.

The Food and Drug Administration currently does not require any special labeling unless the use of biotechnology introduces an allergen or substantially changes a food’s nutritional content. Seventy percent of those responding to the IFIC survey said they supported the FDA policy. "Many products have been modified and are not labeled, but they really don’t pose a food safety hazard because they are considered equal, or ‘substantially equivalent,’ to the other product," says Garden-Robinson.

A few years ago a corn seed with the trade name "StarLink" was released to producers but was not approved for use in human foods. But it has been discovered in some food products on grocery shelves leading to recalls. It has created some controversy, however, Garden-Robinson says only about one in four consumers in the IFIC survey has ever heard anything about recalls of foods related to biotechnology.

Garden-Robinson encourages consumers to learn more about the food they are buying at the grocery store. She notes there is quite an interest in companies providing toll-free numbers and brochures as a way of getting the messages out. "As our food processing changes there certainly is going to be a need for consumers to know, not because it’s a safety issue necessarily but it’s a right to know," says Garden-Robinson. "I really think consumers need to be aware of their food and not be afraid of new technology."

Information regarding biotechnology is available from universities, the Extension Service and from some Web sites notes Garden-Robinson. "But you have to be careful when you are surfing the Internet because there’s a lot of misinformation out there on the Internet and in various forms of media," says Garden-Robinson. "You really have to look at the source of the information. Who’s saying it and what are their credentials in making the statements?"

Garden-Robinson says surveys indicate that consumers are very accepting of modifications to the plant world but much less accepting of modifications to animals for production or cloning.

"Certainly there’s a lot of opposition because of ethical issues," says Garden-Robinson. "This is a topic that is going to be coming up more and more in the news and it’s one we really need to keep informed about."

The results of the International Food Information Council’s survey are available on the Web at http://ificinfo.health.org/ .

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Source: Julie Garden Robinson, (701)-231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701)-231-6136, Richard_Mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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