Consumer Attitudes Toward Gene Edited Food Products (Part 2)

Consumer Attitudes Toward Gene Edited Food Products

A follow-up to FMI Foundation research first published in 2020, this  new report delves deeper into what consumers want to know about gene edited food products and who they consider to be trustworthy sources in addressing biotechnological applications in food,.  The new report entitled Consumer Attitudes, Trust, and Acceptance of Bioengineered and Gene-Edited Food Under the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard includes an examination of consumer reactions to the bioengineered label which was not covered in the initial report.  Two version of the new report are available:


1. A brief Key Findings document that highlights the six significant findings of the research and
2. A longer Detailed Report that provides a more thorough presentation of the research methodologies and additional background information. 

Why Gene Editing?

Gene editing is an emerging plant and animal breeding method with encouraging implications in both food production and consumer-driven food quality demands. In the production of gene-edited foods, DNA is adjusted by deleting a snippet of genetic information or by inserting a desirable trait from a breed of the same species. Not to be confused with GMO, gene editing can be used to achieve a range of improvements to genome using the very same plant or animal or closely related species.

Using the Unified Voice Protocol to Set the Stage

At the FMI Foundation, we recognize that emerging biotechnologies can initially result in consumer confusion, especially in the age of inconsistent and evolving regulatory approaches and increasingly advanced scientific processes. The differing approaches between labeling practices in the U.S. compared to other countries (e.g., Canada and the European Union) carries the potential to elicit a consumer response that is not rooted in science. Currently, the USDA does not require labeling, while Canada and the European Union will be regulating gene-edited foods in the same way they do GMOs. As we move into a new frontier with gene editing we can learn from past missteps in the way GMO foods were introduced, this time involving and informing consumers from the start. Additionally, before the presence of gene-edited foods accelerate in the marketplace, the food industry will benefit from hearing what their customers have to say about the use of gene editing in the foods they buy and consume. Utilization of the Unified Voice Protocol on gene editing will allow the FMI Foundation to:

1. Collaborate with key stakeholders and experts to frame and inform communications around this new scientific process; and
2. Use consistent messaging to educate consumers so that they can make informed decisions about food products incorporating gene editing.

In an age where transparency in the food system is more critical than ever for consumer trust, proactively bringing together the food and consumer goods industries around the topic of gene editing is beneficial for the food system and consumers alike.

Learn more about the Unified Voice Protocol

The FMI Foundation is interested in engaging with organizations in the food, agriculture, public health, and research spaces who share our goal to create an environment of trust in the food and consumer goods industries through this Unified Voice effort. Organizations interested in partnering with the FMI Foundation to determine suitable emerging issues and to design and fund research programs should contact FMI Foundation Executive Director David Fikes at foundation@fmi.org.