A Continuum of Consumer Attitudes Toward Genetically Modified Foods in the United States

A national telephone survey was conducted in the United States in April 2002 to study the consumer acceptance of genetically modified (GM) foods. Attitudes toward GM foods were examined through the use of a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), analyzing the interrelationships among many categorical variables. This method was combined with a cluster analysis to construct a typology of consumers’ attitudes. Four distinct classes of attitudes were finally extracted, denoted as: Proponents, Non-Opponents, Moderate Opponents, and Extreme Opponents. It was estimated that only 35% of the surveyed population was opposed to GM foods.