Author: Randy Fabi
Publication: Reuters News Service
Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2003

WASHINGTON - Despite the omnipresence of biotechnology in U.S. agriculture, the vast majority of Americans believe they have never eaten genetically modified food and want them labeled, said a government-sponsored study released on Wednesday.

A study by Rutgers' Cook College found most Americans know very little about GM food, and that only 26 percent believe they have ever eaten such products. About 80 percent of processed food in the United States contain some GM ingredients, mostly corn or soybean products.

"Most Americans have no idea that foods with genetically modified ingredients are already for sale in the United States," said William Hallman, lead author of the study. "But bottom line, if you eat processed foods, you're probably eating GM ingredients."

About 80 percent of this year's U.S. soybean crop and 40 percent of the corn crop were from GM seed.

The United States is the world's largest producer of crops that are genetically modified to make them resistant to pests, or to withstand herbicides used to kill nearby weeds.

But the United States does not require labels on GM food, which could be one reason for the scant consumer knowledge, the study said.

Funded by the U.S. Agriculture Department, the study reflects a telephone survey of 1,200 randomly selected people.

About 94 percent said they would want GM food to be labeled, the study said.

However, the authors said the respondents' position on GM food labeling were unclear. Before being asked about their opinions on GM foods, most respondents said no additional information on food labels were necessary.

"Most Americans have yet to firmly make up their minds about GM foods. This has not changed from two years ago," the study said.

Although consumer awareness in the United States remains low relative to the 2001 survey, the study said Americans know more about GM foods than Europeans -- one of the most vocal opponents of the technology.