To answer the question posed in the headline above, tackled in the latest survey of genetically modified (GM) foods by Cornell University, I'd call it a shaky, lukewarm "maybe" at best.
Although Americans are almost split on GM foods, slightly more of them have become skeptical about their health value over the past three years. Using a 1-10 scale, support for biotech foods feel from a high 5.6 in 2003 to 5.2 last year. Those numbers tracked with the opposition to GM foods than climbed from 5.4 to 6.1 over the same time period.
One big surprise: Those who paid more attention to the news, researchers said, were more supportive of GM foods than those who didn't. I don't know what news sources Americans have been reading and watching, but that's definitely not what I've been seeing.
If you're at all skeptical about the blight of GM foods, before you go to the grocery store the next time, I urge you to review my helpful hints for distinguishing natural foods from those made by science. You may be surprised...
Cornell University February 19, 2006