How Americans feel about GMOs

With the unprecedented genetically modified organism labeling law scheduled to go into effect in Vermont, Americans remain divided on their perceptions of all things related to GMOs. To better understand how this issue is resonating among Americans, the International Food Information Council Foundation explored their thoughts and perceptions of GMO labeling, as well as GMOs in the food supply, in the 2016 Food and Health Survey.

As mandated by the Food and Drug Administration, current labeling only requires GMOs to be labeled if there are substantial differences between the GMO and non-GMO food (for example, if there are differences in nutritional profiles or allergen content). However, there has been a push to expand this current policy to include all GMO foods.

More than a quarter of Americans (28 percent) are unsure as to whether the current policy should be expanded to label all GMOs. Additionally, 44 percent of Americans support an expanded GMO labeling policy that would be applied to all foods containing GMOs. Interestingly, regional differences seem to influence this issue. The greatest approval of the current FDA labeling policy came from the Midwest (25 percent), while the largest disapproval came from the South (8 percent).

[See: Surprise! These ‘Unhealthy’ Foods Have Health Benefits.]

Regarding the use of GMOs in the food supply, Americans also had a range of responses. Nationally, 51 percent were either not sure or did not report favorability or unfavorability, which indicates that more education and outreach opportunities need to be made available to consumers about GMOs. The greatest opposition to the use of GMOs in food came from the West (33 percent), and the greatest support for use of GMOs is found in the Northeast (22 percent).

Although nearly half of Americans (44 percent) support an expanded GMO labeling policy, only about one-third (34 percent) of Americans report that they are actively avoiding GMOs or seek out non-GMO labels when shopping and purchasing foods. Nationally, the majority of shoppers either are not sure or do not express a preference whether to avoid or consume GMOs (42 percent). These data suggest that although Americans state they want more labeling of GMOs on their foods, the majority are not altering their purchasing behavior of foods based on these labels.

Regardless of Americans’ perceptions of GMOs, nearly two-thirds of them (65 percent) are confident in the safety of the U.S. food supply. Again, regional differences crystalize regarding the safety of the food supply: The Midwest had the greatest confidence (69 percent), while the West reported the lowest confidence (30 percent). Despite these differences, these data indicate that Americans by and large are confident in the safety of the food supply.

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Confidence in the food supply may be attributed to significant advancements in the agricultural world, including GMOs. Unsure if GMOs are safe? Well, a recent comprehensive report from the National Academy of Sciences assessed the potential of adverse health effects from GMO crops compared to non-GMOs.

This report stemmed from a committee of more than 50 scientists who examined relevant literature (more than 900 research and other publications), heard from 80 diverse speakers at three public meetings and 15 webinars, and read more than 700 comments from members of the public to broaden its understanding of issues surrounding GMO crops.

Long story short: GMO crops are as safe to eat as their non-GMO counterparts. Additionally, zero illnesses have been reported from eating GMO foods, despite the fact that billions of pounds of GMO foods have been consumed by the world’s population.

So while the new labeling policies potentially offer Americans more information about their food, it is important to recognize the significant benefits that GMOs offer. GMOs can provide health, environmental and economic advancements, which are important to current and future food practices.

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