Reactions to a New Technology: students’ ideas about genetically engineered foodstuffs

Abstract

This study explores the prevalence of ideas among 16‐19 year old students about the application of a rapidly expanding technology, genetic engineering, to food production. A closed‐form questionnaire with items about genetically engineered vegetables and animals was completed by 386 students from 13 further education institutes. The most common ideas about the advantages of genetically engineered foods were those of improved storage and increased productivity; fewer students thought that such foods would be better tasting, cheaper or healthier. Few thought that genetically engineered foodstuffs were unsafe for the environment or for the consumer, although almost all wanted such foodstuffs to be labelled. Approximately half thought that genetically engineered foodstuffs were ‘unnatural’, although fewer thought that it was wrong to produce such organisms and even fewer gam religious beliefs as their reason. There was a suggestion that greater understanding of genetic engineering increases confidence in genetically engineered food products. In general, more students saw benefits, and fewer saw disadvantages, of genetically engineered vegetables compared with genetically engineered animals. Afore females than males were cautious about the advantages of genetically engineered foodstuffs, which will have implications should the female be the family's shopper.