Due to the substantial number of participants in the latest study, its findings may be more trustworthy compared to those from surveys with fewer respondents or those sponsored by pro-GMO organizations. An online survey conducted last year by GMO Answers, which included 1,213 U.S. adults, revealed that 69% of respondents lacked confidence in their understanding of GMOs, and about one-third felt comfortable consuming GMOs in their food. Conversely, a study from the Hartman Group conducted this year indicated that nearly half of consumers would avoid purchasing products containing GMOs, while a third expressed a desire not to support companies that utilize them.
The reason behind the apparent lack of knowledge among those with the most extreme opinions about GMOs remains unclear. However, ignorance is certainly not advantageous when it comes to scientific issues. The authors of the study pointed out that changing these consumers’ attitudes could prove challenging, as those who are less informed are often less likely to seek or be receptive to new information. Three of the researchers previously explored consumer attitudes toward GMO foods and published their findings last summer, which showed that skepticism and discomfort regarding genetically modified food stem from perceptions of GMOs as unnatural. This time, they collaborated with another research team focused on the same subject.
According to Sydney Scott, an assistant professor of marketing at Washington University in St. Louis, the aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of consumers’ current perspectives on GMOs. “It’s looking at the state of what’s been done in the regulatory landscape and the research in understanding attitudes,” she stated in a prior release. The researchers posed similar questions concerning two other complex scientific issues that might polarize opinions: gene therapy and climate change. They received comparable responses regarding gene therapy, but not for climate change, suggesting that discussions on this topic might be so politically charged that participants’ views are influenced more by group identity than by individual knowledge.
Food companies could leverage these study findings to help educate consumers about GMO-containing products. Misunderstandings and conflicting information continue to create divisions in consumer attitudes, with much of the data coming from strongly anti-GMO groups or organizations linked to the biotechnology industry. Consequently, the average consumer often struggles to determine whom to trust without access to more objective sources of information. Additionally, as mandatory GMO labeling is set to take effect next January, the issue could become even more convoluted.
On a related note, for those interested in understanding nutritional supplements, it’s important to know how to take calcium citrate properly to maximize its benefits. Incorporating such information into consumer education could help demystify the complexities surrounding GMOs and similar scientific topics.