Labeling genetically modified food makes people less panicky about it
Labeling improved Vermonters’ opinions of genetically modified food, compared to elsewhere in the nation — even taking into account age and education, according to a study published in Science Advances. People who saw the labels were actually 19 percent less opposed to GMO foods, compared to people who didn’t see the labels at all.
Vermont was compared to the rest of the nation because two years ago, the state passed a law requiring that all GMO food bear a label. Food manufacturers lobbied against the law, and some pulled their products from the state entirely — apparently out of concern that the labels would drive consumers away from genetically modified food. Scientific organizations, including the American Academy of Sciences, also...