Label genetically modified food, almost all poll respondents say

Two-thirds would refuse to eat genetically altered fare

29dec99 Montreal Gazette

A SOM poll done for The Gazette this month was cited in this story as finding that Montrealers almost unanimously support mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods - and just over half think they should be banned, a poll suggests. As well, if the stuff was put on a plate in front of them, two-thirds would refuse to eat it.

Those negative attitudes frustrate the big food companies that make genetically modified foods in Canada. They say people need to be told that the stuff is safe to eat.

Robin Garrett, spokesman for the Food and Consumer Products Manufacturers of Canada, said, ``The consumer needs to have a better understanding about what exactly it is that's happening. It's very complex, and that's the challenge and I guess that's the frustration from our perspective as an industry. It is (hard) to explain to Canadians that these foods are safe and are, for the most part, the same as a traditional crop.''

The story says that in SOM's telephone survey of nearly 1,000 people, 65 percent said they would not eat genetically modified foods, 53 percent thought they should be banned, and 97 percent thought they should at least be labeled.

But the poll also revealed some room for acceptance of genetically modified food: 50 per cent more men than women said they would eat it, and so, too, would close to half the people in upper-income homes.

And the idea of a ban was least supported by young people - 40 percent said they favored a ban, vs. close to 60 percent of people over 45.

Support for labeling, by contrast, crossed all demographic lines. Ottawa is considering a voluntary labeling system: companies could attach labels flagging their products as being free of genetically altered ingredients. But items with such ingredients could still sit unmarked on the shelves.

Garrett said labeling could also be a way to market ``foods from biotechnology'' for people who want more nutritious foods or ones free of allergens.

The Gazette survey was conducted by the polling firm SOM between Dec. 10 and 20, and is based on 966 telephone interviews. SOM says that 19 times out of 20, a poll such as this results in reliable numbers with a margin of error of 3.27 percentage points.