By Lorraine Heller
The majority of American consumers are still against the idea of
eating products derived from cloned animals, although confidence levels
shoot up if these products are deemed safe by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
According to a new national survey commissioned by the International
Food Information Council (IFIC), 50 percent of American consumers have an
unfavorable view of cloning, while 28 percent remain neutral.

Out of the 1000 people surveyed in July this year, only 22 percent
viewed animal cloning in a favorable light, suggesting once again that the
public is not ready to accept the controversial technology.

However, the survey did find that if FDA determined that foods from
cloned animals are safe, 46 percent of consumers would view the technology
favorably, with 49 percent saying they would likely purchase such products
if safety determinations were offered.

"Clearly, the role of FDA safety determinations should not be
underestimated," wrote IFIC in its new report Food Biotechnology: A Study of
US Consumer Attitudinal Trends, 2007.

Also crucial in consumer acceptance is a clearer understanding of the
technology. Survey results revealed that when the term 'from cloned
animals' was replaced by 'from animals enhanced through genetic
engineering', the number of Americans who said they would likely buy these
foods jumped to 61 percent.

The importance of consumer understanding is also seen in attitudes
towards sustainability, which was added into the annual survey for the first
time this year.

Almost three quarters of Americans said they had heard nothing about
sustainable food production. When sustainability was defined as a method to
'operate in a manner which does not jeopardize the availability of resources
for future generations', 63 percent of participants said they thought it was
important.

In a question where consumers were asked to rank 5 factors related to
growing crops in a sustainable way, the factor ranked number one was
'increasing the production of food staples in the world, thereby reducing
world hunger', with 'reducing the amount of pesticides needed to produce
food' coming in second. Other eco-friendly factors like rainforest
conservation and reducing green house gas emissions ranked lower.

The survey also examined food safety concerns, which unsurprisingly
were higher than last year. Confidence in the food supply dipped to 69
percent, compared to 72 percent last year, with the number of those claiming
to be 'very confident' falling to 15 percent, compared to 21 percent last
year.

A quarter of Americans cited no particular food safety concern. Of
the three-quarters of respondents who listed a specific food safety concern,
disease and contamination topped the list at 38 percent; however, the
biggest increase was in the 'source' category, where concern about country
of origin caused this category to rise from 6 percent of those citing a
specific concern with the food supply in 2006 to 20 percent this year.

Handling and preparation decreased as a food safety concern, cited by
26 percent of those citing a specific concern this year, dropping nine
percent from last year's survey.

In terms of labeling, most consumers reported being satisfied with the
current food labeling system. Only 16 percent said they felt certain
information was missing, with less than one percent specifically mentioning
biotechnology.

However, it is worth noting that less than one quarter of American
consumers believe that biotech foods are currently available in
supermarkets, which highlights a huge gap in consumer education and informed
choices.

This gap is largely a result of the fact that FDA regulations do not
require the labeling of biotech foods, unless the use of biotechnology
introduces an allergen, or if it substantially changes the food's
nutritional content.

Nevertheless, according to IFIC, 95 percent of consumers reported that
they would not take any actions because of concerns they may have about food
produced using biotechnology. Only 2.5 percent of respondents said they
would alter their purchasing behavior.


[www.foodnavigator-usa.com]