U.S. Uneasy about Biotech Food
This poll shows that Americans are uncomfortable and unfamiliar with genetically modified foods.
In particular, U.S. women do not like the idea of consuming meat or milk from cloned animals.
Currently, 89% of soybeans, 83% of cotton and 61% of corn is genetically modified for weed resistance; consequently, almost everybody has consumed some sort of genetically modified food product, although one quarter of those surveyed thought they had never eaten any of these items.
Support for gene altered foods has remained flat at 27% approval in 2001 and opposition falling from 58% in 2001 to 46% in 2006.
30% felt comfortable with animal cloning and 54% were not. Religion was a significant factor in the animal cloning opinions. Of those who attend religions services a few times a year, 30% were comfortable with animal cloning while 54% were not. Of those who attend weekly religious services, 17% were comfortable with cloning while 70% were not.
Sources of trusted information noted were family and friends (37%), FDA (29%) and news media (11%).