Food Law News - UK - 2002
FSA Press Release (R459-33) , 26 July 2002
GM FOOD - FSA announces initiatives to involve consumers in debate on GM food
The Food Standards Agency announced today that it will involve consumers in
debating issues related to GM food. The FSA's action reflects its responsibility
to protect the interests of consumers in relation to food and to provide independent
advice on GM food safety and choice.
FSA action will include:
- Surveys on the attitudes to GM foods of young people and people on low incomes
to ensure that their views are fully represented in the debate
- A 'Citizens Jury' broadcast live on the internet to consider consumer acceptability
of GM foods, which will enable a whole range of consumer concerns to be reviewed
- An open meeting in November hosted by the independent Advisory Committee
on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) to discuss topical scientific issues
relating to GMOs
- A meeting of the FSA Board will then review and evaluate the range of information
and views collated by the Agency and other outcomes from the wider debate
Food Standards Agency Chair Sir John Krebs said: 'The Agency is particularly
keen that the views of a very wide variety of consumers are heard on GM foods
as part of a wider GM debate. It will instigate independent activities to ensure
that - for example - young people and people on low incomes get involved.'
The Agency also published today the conclusions of consumer focus groups carried
out earlier this year to investigate current public attitudes to GM.
Key findings were:
- The groups expressed virtually no knowledge of the extent of the use of
GMOs in the food chain, but there was a general assumption that the use of
GM in the UK is more widespread than the reality
- Although there was an awareness of GM among the groups, there was not a
lot of understanding of what it does and how it does it
- GM was very far down the list of food-related concerns for consumers, although
focus group members did make associations with fears of the unknown and some
expressed concern over the use of powerful technology that they did not understand
- Demands for information by group members were at a relatively low level,
although there were indications that greater information would be demanded
by consumers if GM issues were put firmly on the public agenda
Full details of the research are available on the Agency website: www.food.gov.uk.
To go to main Food Law Index page, click
here.