A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
Public anxiety over GM foods may be waning, according to the latest survey into attitudes towards food commissioned by the UK Food Standards Agency.
A recent story in The Grocer magazine said that of 3,120 people interviewed in autumn 2001, only 5 per centspontaneously mentioned GM as a concern. The percentage of respondents whoexpressed concern only after being prompted dropped from 43 per cent in 2000 to 38 per cent in 2001. The results will be welcomed by the Agricultural Biotechnology Council set up recently to present the friendly face of GM to industry andconsumers.
However, FSA chairman Sir John Krebs cautioned against reading too much intothe figures: "All the surveys over the past year and a half suggestpublic concerns over GM have diminished. But this may be because there isnot much GM labelled food on the shelves any more. What people are reallywaiting for is the result of the field scale trials next year," Krebs commented.