Consumer perception of genetically modified foods is largely negative. GM foods are produced from organisms that have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering. While GM foods may increase crop yields and nutrition, many consumers perceive them as unnatural and unsafe due to unknown long term risks. Consumer acceptance of GM foods depends on factors like trust in government regulations, attitudes towards science and technology, influence of media coverage on risk perception, and perceived benefits versus costs, which are evaluated differently in various countries and cultures. Negative consumer perception has limited markets for GM foods in some parts of the world.

1. Consumer perception of
Genetically Modified Food

2. What is consumers perception?
O Customer perception is defined as the way that
customers usually view or feel about certain services and
products. It can also be related to customer satisfaction
which is the expectation of the customer towards the
products.

3. O What is GMF?
O Genetically Modified foods (GM foods) are produced from Genetically
Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs have specific changes made to their
DNA by genetic engineering.
O How does it work?
O Genetically Modified Organisms are organisms in which the DNA is
altered so that it allows selected individual genes to be transferred from
one organism to another.

4. Risk perception in food technologies
O Consumer attitudes to new food technologies “not starting
from zero” – food has always been there not like pharma
O Consumers make trade-offs between risk, benefit and
cost (including ethical & environmental costs)
O Consumer decisions are made on a case-by-case basis
related to specific perceptions of risk and benefit
O Consumers’ decisions and perceptions might be (very) far
from a rationale science-based approach

5. What went wrong with GM food
O Resistance based on perceived risk
O GM food perceived as unnatural and therefore risky
O Uncontrollable by those exposed to them
O Food is a special cause of concern (taken into the body)
O Unknown long-term risks
O Substantial equivalence did not address consumer
concerns
O Opaque risk analysis systems and decision-making
practices were not helpful

6. O Resistance based on values and benefit analysis
O Consumer choice issue: has to do with marketing more than with ideology (“who
wants what and why?”)
O Food a special issue in Europe
O No consumer benefits from the 1st generation of GMOs
O Who is getting the final benefits (Third Countries farmers? Biotech companies?)
O Impact on biodiversity
O Ethical doubts

7. Consumer Acceptance of GM Food
O Worldwide consumer response toward GM foods has
been largely negative.
O the majority of the previous studies on consumer attitudes
towards food products were conducted in developed
countries.
O The small numbers of studies conducted in developing
nations obtain different results from those of the
developed world.

8. Risks-Benefit Perception Framework of
Consumer Choice
Interdisciplinary Studies on Risk Perception
 Some specialist (psychologists, sociologists, and mass
communication scholars) investigated risk and benefit in a number
of ways, primarily by using surveys, case studies, and analyses of
media content.

9. Risk Perception Framework on GM Food Issue
O We argue that the probability that the consumer assigns
to each potential cost or risk primarily stems from four
sources.
I. the level of trust in government regulators regarding food
supply safety.
II. attitudes toward scientific discovery.
III. attitudes toward science & technology
IV. the influence of media coverage.

10. Factors Affecting Perceived Benefits
O The benefits of GM foods are mainly cost-reducing and/or
yield-enhancing attributes.
i. Food availability
ii. Nutrition
iii. Economic advantage

11. Perception About Health Effect
O The BMA shares the view that there is no robust evidence
to prove that GM foods are unsafe” and that “genetically
modified food has enormous potential to benefit both the
developed and developing world in the long term.
O Resistance crops can develop undesirable chemicals.
O Insect or pest resistance crops

12. Perception in Environmental Effect
O using GM crops that are resistant to attack by pests or
disease, farmers can reduce their use of pesticides and
herbicides and the residual levels of these chemicals in
the environment.
O growing GM crops on a large scale may affect the
balance of wildlife and the environment.
O plants bioengineered to produce pharmaceuticals (such
as medicines) may contaminate food crops.

13. Perception in Individual
O Food habit
O Age
O Gender
O Country region
O Religious activities
O Educational Level

14. Consumer
Awareness
Risk
management
efforts
Risk
management
priorities
Responsibility
Media
Uncertainty
Consumers not willing to seek
information
Adequate Risk management and
happy consumers
More acceptance of economic
interests
Emphasis state and industry
Negative view - create public
anxiety
Inherent in science
Poor quality of
information
lack of trust
Less acceptance of
economic interests
Emphasis consumer
protection
Positive view – reliable
Not acknowledged by all
institutions – source of
negative perceptions
expertscustomers

15. Conclusion
O Consumer opinion can be a powerful driver for public
policy.
O Negative attitudes toward GM foods in Europe and Asia
have caused a contentious and confusing trade situation
and the loss of valuable export markets
O The perception of attitudes towards organic and GM
foods differed in several respect.

16. Reference
O Srilanka journals online
Available on http://www.sljol.info/index.php/TAR/article/view/4666/3765
Accessed on 8/10/2013
O Consumer Responses to GM Foods
Available on http://www.choicesmagazine.org/2005-4/GMOs/2005-4-06.htm
accessed on 8/1012013
O The Regulation of GMOs in Europe and the United States: A Case-Study of
Contemporary European Regulatory Politics
available on http://www.cfr.org/agricultural-policy/regulation-gmos-europe- united-states-
case-study-contemporary-european-regulatory-politics/p8688 accessed on 10/10/2013