Attitudes towards the use of GMOs in food production and willingness to buy cheese produced using GMOs for respondents with and without tasting experience

TY - CONF

T1 - Attitudes towards the use of GMOs in food production and willingness to buy cheese produced using GMOs for respondents with and without tasting experience

AU - Grunert, Klaus G.

AU - Bech-Larsen, Tino

AU - Lähteenmäki, Lisa

AU - Åström, Øydis

AU - Åström, Annika

N1 - Haves ikke HHÅ

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - European consumers are sceptical towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food production, and their willingness to buy such products is low. Previous research also shows that these attitudes are quite resistant to attempts to change them by giving additional information. The aim of the study was to investigate if actual sensory experience with a (purportedly) GMO-based food product would influence consumers' attitude towards the use of GMOs in food production. An experiment was conducted in which subjects in the experimental group tasted cheeses, one of which was labelled as 'produced using GMOs.' The cheeses were selected in a way that ensured that the subject had a sensory preference for the GMO cheese. A control group tasted cheeses that were unlabelled. After the tasting, subjects completed a conjoint analysis task about cheese, in which the type of starter culture used (GMO/conventional) was one of the attributes. Subjects also were administered a set of items measuring attitude towards the use of GMOs in food production. Results showed that for subjects in the experimental group (who believed that they had tasted a GMO cheese, with which they had a positive sensory experience) a) attitude towards GMO in food production was less negative, and b) type of starter culture used (GM/conventional) had less impact on their buying intentions with regard to cheese than for subjects in the control group.

AB - European consumers are sceptical towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food production, and their willingness to buy such products is low. Previous research also shows that these attitudes are quite resistant to attempts to change them by giving additional information. The aim of the study was to investigate if actual sensory experience with a (purportedly) GMO-based food product would influence consumers' attitude towards the use of GMOs in food production. An experiment was conducted in which subjects in the experimental group tasted cheeses, one of which was labelled as 'produced using GMOs.' The cheeses were selected in a way that ensured that the subject had a sensory preference for the GMO cheese. A control group tasted cheeses that were unlabelled. After the tasting, subjects completed a conjoint analysis task about cheese, in which the type of starter culture used (GMO/conventional) was one of the attributes. Subjects also were administered a set of items measuring attitude towards the use of GMOs in food production. Results showed that for subjects in the experimental group (who believed that they had tasted a GMO cheese, with which they had a positive sensory experience) a) attitude towards GMO in food production was less negative, and b) type of starter culture used (GM/conventional) had less impact on their buying intentions with regard to cheese than for subjects in the control group.

KW - MAPP

KW - Genmodificering

KW - Fødevareproduktion

KW - Ost

KW - Conjoint analyse

KW - Smagsoplevelse

KW - MAPP

KW - Genetic modification

KW - Food production

KW - Cheese

KW - Conjoint analysis

KW - Taste experience

M3 - Paper

T2 - 6th International Conference on Agricultural Biotechnologies: New Avenues for Production, Consumption and Technology Transfer, Ravaello, Italy

Y2 - 11 July 2002 through 14 July 2002

ER -