Consumers in Asia, especially India, China, Philippines are ready to accept
the benefits of biotechnology derived foods, according to a consumer survey
by the Asian Food Information Centre (AFIC).

The Asia region resource centre on nutrition, health and food safey has
concluded that biotech foods will likely become an increasing and well
accepted feature of the Asian diet in the light of the region's grwoing
demand for high volumes of food.

Currently, the only genetically modified (GM or biotech) crop grown
commercially in India is Bt Cotton but the government's policy leans towards
bigger use of biotech food crops in the near future.

Field and other levels of trials are already on vis a vis a range of biotech
crops including Bt brinjal, okra etc.

In 2008, the government simplified, for biotech companies, the currently
multi-level and complex trials made mandatory thus far before a biotech crop
can come to field trials.

Officially, though, the sceintific establishment has plumped for hybrids
over biotech in food crops in the last few decades.

That notwithstanding, the AFIC survey "Consumer Perception on Acceptance of
biotech Food in Asia", conducted by Nielsen across five Asian countries
inlcuding Idnia, Japan, China, Philippines and S Korea, has found that in
India, a significant 95% of consumers support plant biotechnology related to
sustainable food production; 84% of Indians are ready to purchase biotech
food such as tastier tomato, cheaper food staples adn foods/cooking oil with
a healthier fat profile: more confident with food safety levels in the
country, vis a vis other Asian countries surveyed.

The survey also contends that 70% of Indians strongly believe that food
biotechnology will bring benefits in the next few years whiel 68% are
sastified with the information provided on food labels. 70% of consumes
surveyed, it said, had a neutral or favourable impression of biotech use in
food production.

The AFIC survey has also maintained that that Asian consumers, unlike EU and
US consumers, ranked expiry date as the "most important" information lookoed
for while reading food labelsand that they did not perceive the presence of
biotech ingredients as an additional labelling item.

"Food biotechnology is not a priority food safety concern among consumers.
Teh important concerns are pesticide residues, food poisoning, food from
unknown source and improper handling of food," the AFIC contended in a
statement.

The survey itself maintains " Asian consumers rated reducing the amount of
pesticides needed to produce food, foolowed by increasing the production of
food staples in the world, thereby reducing world hunger, as the most
important crop production factors related to sustainable food production."

Accordign to Dr George Fuller, ED of the AFIC " It is encouraign to note
that 84% of Indians are ready to purchase biotech food to experience its
benefits and are the most confident with the food safety levels in the
country, vis a vis Asian counterparts. This is good news for India, as the
government considers crop biotechnolgoy as the strategic element to increase
productivity of food. "

In additin to the findings from India, the survey findings from China
contends that while 94% of Chinese consumers support plant biotechnology
related to sustainable food production.

The level stands at 92% in Philippines, 71% in S Korea and a much lower 67%
in Japan. 82% of the Chinese consumers surveyed preferred nutritionally
enhanced soy products, while 98% of those surveyed in the Philippines
preferred rice and biotech cooking oil with reduced saturated and transfats.

Korean consumers surveyed favoured cooking oil and foods with a healthier
oil profile while in Japan, freshness and taste were the most preferred
qualities looked for in food.

The survey said that Philippines and Chinese consumers surveyed were also
confident with the safety levels in their country. Ironically, biotech
experts worldwide have maintained that safety in biotech foods is the key
focus in this, the second decade of its existence worldwide.
www.checkbiotech.org