ANTICIPATING PUBLIC REACTION TO THE USE OF GENETIC-ENGINEERING IN INFANT NUTRITION

Public acceptance of new food products will be the major determinant o f their commercial success. I present selected findings from two natio nal social science research projects aimed at gauging consumer knowled ge of and understanding consumer attitudes about biotechnology, as wel l as about the specific use of genetic engineering in milk production. People are more willing to accept products if they understand them an d are assured by credible sources that such products are safe and effe ctive. Perceived health concerns and ethical issues will be important to many people and are an important challenge to acceptance. Women ten d to be more skeptical about these new products than are men. I make r ecommendations for more-effective educational efforts, based on social science research, that could increase acceptance by key consumer grou ps and, ultimately, the commercial success of bioengineered food produ cts.