Are consumers well informed?

Please let us have your opinion about circulation of information to consumers concerning GMO food.
Thank you all!

Hello Kelly, I see you worked out how to make a poll. Personally speaking I know very little about GMO's, what they are, whether they're all bad or not. What you tend to get is sensational scare stories in the press, but I've not heard much mention for a while in the UK. I voted that the competent authorities should put out the facts and they should be distributed via mass media, probably newspapers.

Regards,
Simon

Hello Simon. I appreciate your voting. Indeed I found some time to learn a few things about how the forums work. Concerning your ideas of GMO's, I'm afraid that the results will show that you are right. It is frustrating to find out that though we have so many ways to inform people about the risks for their health, nobody really does anything! Check out the new story for milk and meat deriving from cloned animals, practically approved in USA...
Regards,
Kelly B.

Personally speaking I know very little about GMO's, what they are, whether they're all bad or not.

Hello Simon,
In case you are interested, check this out. It is a brief introduction to GMO's, Questions and Answers from the official site :http://europa.eu/rap...;guiLanguage=en

Regards,
Kelly B.

Hi Kelly,

personnally I know very little about GMO too, even if I had a brief course on it at the university. In your poll, you are talking about people being informed about GMO and I suppose you mean the (negative) effects of GMO... Well I almost believe that governments or international institutions like the FAO do not provide enough information to the public because even they might not be sure about long term effects of GMOs... Do you know of any studies on animals having consumed GMO food over a few yeras for example? I don't...

Just like Simon said, most information you can find about GMOs is negative. But are the people that provide it really objective? Thtis might be the reason why I believe there should be more governmental information or at least newspaper articles based on serious research results.

Regards,
Max

Thanks for the link Kelly, I know a little more about GMO now. Just the term "Genetically Modified Organism" sends shivers down my spine (sheep - two heads). It doesn't sound safe does it? If I offered you the choice between a GMO and organic apple which would you choose? No matter which one was the safest and tastiest.

Regards,
imon

You are welcome, Simon. It's a difficult question you place, well, first of all because I don't like apples I think I'd rather choose the organic one. Don't ask me why, just instinct. The word organic sounds more friendly I suppose... To be honest, I have tried some organic fruits "cultivated" here and I found them O.K. (By the way, our dog has tried them first ). I have also tried Tofu made of (legitimate)GMO soybean (the pet denied to eat it but I think this is just because it is completely tasteless! But then... who knows?). So I leave it up to you to make your own conclusions.
Regards,
KellyB.

I have also tried Tofu made of (legitimate)GMO soybean (the pet denied to eat it but I think this is just because it is completely tasteless! But then... who knows?). So I leave it up to you to make your own conclusions.

Clever dog.

What one can do with Tofu

Clever dog.

What one can do with Tofu

Better to try out on the dog Simon than the kids don't you think????

Dear Kelly,

The voting mechanism is rather cunning in that it will only accept a complete 3-entry input (Simon's fault of course).
I discovered this when I tried to avoid pressing a button in the last section - it seemed to me that the approriate distribution should be by "competent" authorities which unfortunately (?) could well justify another poll of course ---- eg do you think that competent authorities exist in yr country?? ----- options such as gov.health authority, consumer org etc which is sort of a possible cause / effect to yr first section. (I realise the way the votes are going in sections 1/2 at the moment, one can deduce that the popular answer to this question is going to be NO )

It might be mentioned that some of this thread overlaps to this other thread also -

http://www.ifsqn.com...amp;#entry13639

Rgds / Charles.C

Better to try out on the dog Simon than the kids don't you think????

No I'm human; though my wife might agree with you.

The voting mechanism is rather cunning in that it will only accept a complete 3-entry input (Simon's fault of course).
I discovered this when I tried to avoid pressing a button in the last section - it seemed to me that the approriate distribution should be by "competent" authorities which unfortunately (?) could well justify another poll of course ---- eg do you think that competent authorities exist in yr country?? ----- options such as gov.health authority, consumer org etc which is sort of a possible cause / effect to yr first section. (I realise the way the votes are going in sections 1/2 at the moment, one can deduce that the popular answer to this question is going to be NO )

If you have to vote in all three how come the answers don't tally.

Go on blame me.

No I'm human;

That's the problem. We are ONLY human..!

If you have to vote in all three how come the answers don't tally.

Currently = 6-9-6, Maybe it allows you to press >1 button if you know the trick. Have to wait for the next poll to further investigate.

It's no big surprise that polls may display "inconsistencies" of course, just wondered if Admin might have an itchy finger or two.

Rgds / Charles.C

PS and thks for the menu, very neat

Thank you all for your votes. Needless to say that these are -more or less- the results I expected. I come to the conclusion that a relevant poll not only concerning GMOs but generally food safety issues would give the same results.
Somethimes I wonder if consumers they really care or is it just us because we are dealing with food safety matters?

I'm especially interested in the third poll question:

What do you think is the best media for circulation of such information?

Which was voted:

The press/media [ 8 ]
The Internet [ 0 ]

Internet User Statistics - World Top 20

The top 20 countries account for over 1 billion worldwide internet users and this number is growing exponentially.

I wonder how many newspapers are sold in the world each day? Although TV could be good medium, maybe a dedicated food safety TV channel. Pay per view of course.

I'd be interested in hearing members views on why the press/media is preferred to the internet.

Regards,
Simon

Dear Simon,
You just read my mind! But then I thought my mother (for instance) doesn't know what the Internet is all about, she doesn't even have a computer. But she opens the T.V. every day and buys a newspaper at least twice a week. Needless to say that she has always been very careful concerning what the family is eating.
Maybe this replies to your question.
Rgrds/KellyB.

Dear Simon,
You just read my mind! But then I thought my mother (for instance) doesn't know what the Internet is all about, she doesn't even have a computer. But she opens the T.V. every day and buys a newspaper at least twice a week. Needless to say that she has always been very careful concerning what the family is eating.
Maybe this replies to your question.
Rgrds/KellyB.

Maybe, but it won't always be the case, perhaps in the future the TV will be the internet. I agree TV is probably the best medium right now, and I can't think of a better slot than the advertising break between Coronation Street (I don't think you will know this TV programme) or maybe during the half time of a major football match such as Greece V's Kazekstan. Yes the ideal place for a public announcement about where to store what in the refrigerator.

Like I said yesterday public safety announcements about smoking are always on TV, newspapers and billboards at roadsides, so they must be effective as governments never waste money.

I'm just biased for the internet as you know.

Regards,
Simon

I can't think of a better slot than the advertising break between Coronation Street (I don't think you will know this TV programme) or maybe during the half time of a major football match such as Greece V's Kazekstan.

Coronation Street isn't that soap with Violet and Liz and Danny, Sean and Liam, Eileen Jason and Holly and many others? It must have reached 6000 episodes by now I guess! I have a friend she used to live in England now she's back to Greece but some of her friends are sending her the DVDs with the recorded episodes so occasionaly I watch it with her. Of course I'd rather watch a football match even if it's Greece V's Kazekstan (Nov.18, 2004, the game ended 3-1).

But generally I agree with you Simon.
Rgds/Kelly B.

Kelly you are the font of all knowledge.

I am so happy you joined the forum.

Regards,
Simon

Hi Simon,

I prefer press/media because they deliver trust worthy information on my doorstep.
With information on the Internet there is a trust problem.
Who is behind the information and what are his or hers objectives. From the press/media I know this pretty well.
With information on the Internet I have quite often no clue at all.
Secondly printed media is easy to use. For Internet you always need a gadget for access.

Remember to share good fortune with your friends, Okido

Hi Okido,
I agree with you that printed media are easy to use, but do you honestly believe that the press is not manipulated and many times not exagerating in many issues?
Rgds/Kelly B.

I prefer press/media because they deliver trust worthy information on my doorstep.
With information on the Internet there is a trust problem.
Who is behind the information and what are his or hers objectives. From the press/media I know this pretty well.
With information on the Internet I have quite often no clue at all.
Secondly printed media is easy to use. For Internet you always need a gadget for access.

Remember to share good fortune with your friends, Okido

Personally I agree, because we are intelligent we can sift through the sensationalism and have learned to trust commentaries from our preferred media sources. The problem is over 3 million people read The Sun newspaper here in the UK; it has the biggest circulation and it's a total rag.

Simon

I prefer press/media because they deliver trust worthy information on my doorstep.

Which country are you in? Certainly not the UK!

The problem is over 3 million people read The Sun newspaper here in the UK; it has the biggest circulation and it's a total rag.

I only read "broadsheet" papers and they can be just as bad. Remember that the main aim of the newspapers is to sell copies and make money. If the news is boring it needs spicing up a bit!

Which country are you in? Certainly not the UK!
I only read "broadsheet" papers and they can be just as bad. Remember that the main aim of the newspapers is to sell copies and make money. If the news is boring it needs spicing up a bit!

How about a programme with Gordon Ramsey fronting?
Call it "The Hell in your Kitchen"

Cx

How about a programme with Gordon Ramsey fronting?
Call it "The Hell in your Kitchen"

Cx

Or "Celebrity Bug Brother" - where a number of bacteria, toxins, viruses and parasites are covertly introduced into the Bug Brother House. The housemates have to clean and cook their way to victory by employing food safety techniques. The last one to become ill is the winner. We could change the name of the 'diary room' to the 'diarrhoea room'.

Simon