ABSTRACT
Because food plays such a central role in our lives, the genetic modification of foodstuffs raises more public concern and interest than almost any other aspect of genetic engineering. Anything which could affect the quality, safety or composition of our food matters greatly to us. The effect of the BSE crisis on attitudes towards eating beef in Europe was a vivid demonstration of how sensitive we can be to food safety, and also of how quickly public attitudes in this area can form, change and disperse. BSE and E. coli 0157 are non-genetic issues to do with food production and safety. In popular discussion, however, they have often wrongly been lumped in with concerns about genetic engineering. As a result, food technology issues, whether genetic or conventional, have had a considerable influence on the overall view of the population of the UK and Europe towards genetic modification as a whole. Indeed, where food is concerned, the more general questions about genetic engineering undoubtedly acquire a special flavour. Expressions like ‘tampering with what is natural’ relate to more than just debates about ethics and ideals, if we have to eat it. Consumer concern about whether genetically modifying food is safe or environmentally harmful has caused a major reversal in the marketing policy of many supermarket chains. It has led to a deeper questioning about how we produce our food and who controls it.
