Researchers have conducted a survey among 1.012 US consumers in August 2014 on the desirability of genetically engineered (GE) foods by product type and by the degree of product processing.

Jayson L. Lusk, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA, Brandon McFadden, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, and Bradley J. Rickard, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, found that people prefer eating beef to eating corn or apples if the foods are not genetically engineered. Exactly the opposite is true if the foods are genetically engineered.

Eating fresh food is preferred to processed, but much less so if both food types are genetically engineered. Desirability of genetic engineering depends on the reason for the biotechnology application. This can, for example, be keeping crop production in the US or lower price paid by the consumer.

• Which biotech foods are most acceptable to the public?,
  Jayson L. Lusk, Brandon R. McFadden, Bradley J. Rickard,
  Biotechnol. J. 2014.
  DOI: 10.1002/biot.201400561