A new study has confirmed what pollsters already knew: the public remains skeptical about genetically modified foods.
About 62 percent of respondents said GM is acceptable for use in human medicine and 68 percent said it’s OK to use the technology to protect human health, such as genetically modified mosquitoes.
“In some ways, I can understand why people may be more cautious about what they’re ingesting on an ongoing basis.”
The Purdue results are similar to polls done in Canada, looking at public perceptions of GM foods:
• A 2012 Farmers Feed Cities survey found that only 41 percent of Canadians think GM foods are safe for consumption.
• An Insights West poll in 2014 found 50 percent of people in Alberta and 56 percent in British Columbia would support a ban on genetically modified foods in Canada.
• A 2013 Consumers’ Association of Canada poll found that 88 percent of Canadians think GMO labeling should be mandatory.
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