|
Surveys Compilation and analysis of public opinion polls on genetically engineered foods Center for Food Safety Below is a compilation of poll results concerning genetically engineered foods listed in chronological order. USA POLL RESULTS 2. 90% of American farmers support labels on biotech products if they are scientifically different from conventional foods and 61% support labels on biotech products even if not scientifically different (Farm Foundation/Kansas State University, survey of farms throughout the U.S., September 2001). 3. 93% of Americans say the federal government should require labels saying whether it's been genetically modified, or bioengineered. "Such near unanimity in public opinion is rare." (ABC News.com poll, June 2001). 4. 86% of Americans think that the government should require the labeling of all packaged and other food products stating that they include corn, soy or other products which have come from genetically modified crops (Harris Poll, June 2000). 5. 79% of Americans said it should not be legal to sell genetically modified fruits and vegetables without special labels (USA Today, February 2000). 6. 86% of Americans want labels on genetically engineered foods (International Communications Research, March 2000). 7. 81% of Americans think the government should require genetically engineered food products to be labeled. 89% of Americans think the government should require pre-market safety testing of genetically engineered foods before they are marketed, as with any food additive. (MSNBC Live Vote Results, January 2000). 8. Over 80% of Americans support the right of the European Union and Japan to require the labeling of genetically engineered food imported from the United States. (Univ. of Md. Center for the Study of Policy Attitudes, et al., November 1999). 9. 92% of Americans support legal requirements that all genetically engineered foods be labeled. (BSMG Worldwide for the Grocery Manufacturers of America, September 1999). 10. 81% of American consumers believe GE food should be labeled. (Time magazine, January 1999). 11. 93% of women surveyed say they want all GE food clearly labeled. (National Federation of Women's Institutes, 1998). 12. 93% of Americans who responded to a Novartis survey agree that GE foods should be labeled as such. 73% of those agree strongly with the position. (Novartis, February 1997). 13. 84% of 604 New Jersey residents polled want mandatory labeling of GE fruits and vegetables, and 76% favor farmers voluntarily putting labels on their produce that say the items were not genetically engineered. (USDA, July 1995). 14. 94% of 1,900 consumers polled believed that milk should be labeled to distinguish milk from rbGH-treated cows and more than 74% of consumers say they are concerned about the possible discovery of negative long-term effects on human health associated with rbGH. (USDA, March-June 1995). 15. 92% of 36,000 polled say they want GE food labeled, with a 94% pro-labeling response from women and a 84% pro-labeling response from men. (Vance Publishing, in Food R&D, February 1995). 16. 81% of 8,000 subscribers to PRODIGY Internet service think that milk containers should be labeled to indicate whether or not the milk comes from cows treated with rbGH. 92% of women; 78% of men (PRODIGY Internet company, March 1994). 17. 88% of respondents favor mandatory labeling from rbGH-treated cows, 9% oppose mandatory labeling and 3% are unsure (St. Norbert College and Wisc. Pub. Radio, February 1994). 18. 85% of those polled think that labeling of GE food is "very important" (USDA, 1992). 19. In an FDA sponsored survey in 1992, 8 state attorneys general asked the FDA to require mandatory labeling of all GE foods. 20. Labeling of dairy products from rbGH-treated cows was favored
in all the following studies: |
