GMO Awareness

A GMO awareness survey released recently by the NPD Group revealed that 67% of all primary grocery shoppers are not willing to pay a higher price for foods made without GMO ingredients. On the other hand, half of those who primarily shop at specialty food stores said they will pay more for non-GMO products. In the survey more than half of American consumers did express a moderate level of concern about GMOs, but in the same breath could not really define what makes a GMO product a GMO product. At a recent ag industry convention I attended a panel of randomly selected twenty-somethings were asked questions about their grocery shopping, cooking and eating habits. All but one or two of this panel could not explain what a GMO product actually was; most however had heard negative stories regarding GMO foods, and that alone is what they based their decision to buy or not to buy GMO products on. NPD food and beverage industry analyst Darren Seifer is correct then in pointing out that it is definitely time to talk with shoppers about what GMOs are and what roles they play in the food chain. Then and only then can consumers make informed and confidant food choices, regardless of whether they buy GMO products or not.