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The Asia Pacific Metrology Program and the Accreditation Cooperation joint Proficiency Testing (PT) program for the quantification of genetically modified maize MON87427 was organized by the National Institute of Metrology, China, to enhance the measurement accuracy and metrological traceability in the region. Certified reference materials were employed as test samples; metrologically traceable certified reference values served as PT reference values (PTRVs) for evaluating the participants results. The consensus values obtained from the participants were higher than the assigned values, potentially due to the systematic effects of DNA extraction process. The participants' relatively poor overall performance by the ζ-score compared with z-score demonstrates their need to thoroughly investigate quantification bias to elevate the measurement capability of genetically modified (GM) content and deepen their understanding of uncertainty estimation. This program confirmed the importance of using metrologically traceable reference values instead of consensus values as PTRV for reliable performance assessment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

China's newly issued genome-edited crop safety assessment guidelines do not entirely deviate from the existing genetically modified regulatory regimes. However, there is an urgent need to reform the genome-edited regulatory framework based on scientific values and a novel regulatory philosophy that balances diverse values to enhance public trust., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests No interests are declared., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Using an online survey conducted in China (N = 1089), this study aims to understand the characteristics of active publics on the issue of genetically modified (GM) foods and provide effective communication strategies with active publics in China. In doing so, this study segments active publics regarding GM foods and predicts their communicative behaviors on GM foods by using the theoretical framework of situational theory of problem solving (STOPS). The results of the study revealed the demographic characteristics of active publics, situational, and media factors to predict information seeking, forefending, and forwarding about GM foods. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Background: With the commercialization of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the market, laboratories have undergone a significantly increased workload. A universal analytical approach was designed to achieve cost-efficient and high-throughput GMOs screening with high specificity and accuracy. The approach provides accurate qualification of authorized and unauthorized GMOs., Objective: This article describes the assessment of this analytical approach developed to detect the majority of commercialized GMOs over the world., Method: Seven elements and three events were detected by qPCR in a single laboratory to detect 59 commercialized GMOs. Certificated reference materials and food/feed samples from the Chinese market were also evaluated for the specificity, conformity, and robustness of this approach and were challenged in the interlaboratory study., Results: The results showed that elements and events selected can best detect GMO presence with good specificity and sensitivity. The results showed a concordance between 97.5 and 99.56% and the variance between 0.65 and 12.88%, which is in line with the minimum requirement of analytical methods of GMO testing., Conclusions: The approach validated here can be used to manipulate GMO presence in food and feed and showed the capacity to manipulate GMO trace in the trade and domestic agriculture market in China., Highlights: A universal analytical approach used to track GMO presence was evaluated for its specificity, sensitivity, and robustness., (© AOAC INTERNATIONAL 2021. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study examines the influential factors posited by the Spiral of Silence Theory (SoS) in shaping people's perceptions of the overall public opinion towards food safety issues in China and their willingness to speak out. Two highly controversial issues, including genetically modified (GM) food and food additives, are examined. Using an online opt-in panel in China, we collected survey responses from a total of 1089 respondents, with a comparable age distribution to that of Chinese netizens, as indicated in the most recent census. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions were conducted to make statistical inferences about the proposed research questions and hypotheses. Findings suggest that perceived opinion incongruence, self-relevance, and self-influence significantly affected the extent to which people were willing to express their opinions on social media for the genetically modified food issue, but not the use of food additive issue. The study provides evidence of the silencing effect on publicly expressing opinions about the food safety related issues in China and clarifies the potential boundary conditions of the SoS mechanism in the context of Chinese social media where the majority of public opinions come into formation.

This study investigates the discourse of a long-lasting social debate over the safety of genetically modified food in China. Based on data from the social media platform WeChat, it adopts the perspective of critical discourse analysis to analyze what strategies are used in discourses of Chinese genetically modified foods to construct identities of the two opposing sides in genetically modified debates. The two sides use different rhetorical devices, argumentative strategies, and intertextual historical elements. Specifically, opponents of genetically modified food are inclined to use metaphors, moralization, intertextual proverbs, and revolutionary inflection to legitimize their position, while supporters often use irony, authorization, and historical allusions to legitimate as well as enhance their hegemony. I suggest that exploring how each side strategically constructs a discourse may facilitate better understanding and mitigate conflict between the two polarized viewpoints represented in social media.

Controversies around genetically modified (GM) food have become particularly prevalent in China. To understand the situation, 257 GM cartoons were collected from various Chinese online sources. We found that China's GM cartoons peaked during controversial social events from the end of 2012 to 2016, which is consistent with the Baidu Media Index on GM headline news. About 85% of the cartoons involve GM food and more than half of cartoons share scary information. The mainstream media is more neutral and not only presents the dilemma in choice but also promotes genetically modified organisms (GMOs). However, social media inclines toward a more pessimistic view, providing scary information and focusing on health risks and conspiracy theories. Controversial topics have fueled the spread of political conspiracy theories. Generally, scientists supporting GMOs have been criticized under suspicion of betraying their country, and the issue of GM food in China reflects strong political views.

Consumers' potential reactions toward genetically modified (GM) foods affect their commercial feasibility and determine the decisions of economic agents. Inconsistent information on GM foods has created a sense of uncertainty in Chinese consumers' mind. This paper studies how the information about risks and benefits of GM foods from major sources influences Chinese consumer intention to purchase GM soybean oil. This analysis uses data from a survey of 880 residents randomly sampled from 13 cities in Jiangsu province. Using a multinomial logit model, we analyze the effects of information consistency and source credibility. The results show because of new information about 17.36% of consumers increase their intention to purchase GM soybean oil, and 15.10% of consumers decrease purchase intention. Compared to consistent information, inconsistent information can maximize change of purchase intention. The attitude change is greatest when there is a moderate difference between the new information and the initial consumer attitude. Furthermore, trust in biotechnology research institutes, government departments about GM, and GM experts are easier to promote consumers to change their intention to purchase GM soybean oil in a positive direction. Finally, we discuss implications for agencies as to strengthening the regulation and supervision of information sources, and including public-involved policies. Abbreviations: GM, Genetically modified; GMOs, Genetically modified organisms; AGGMO, Center of Agriculture's Genetically Modified Organisms' safety management and policy research organization at Nanjing Agricultural University; MARA, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; ¥1 (RMB)≈$6.8 (USD).

Consumer preference for the mandatory labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods promotes public support for the implementation of GM food policies. This study analyzes consumers' preference for the traceability of GM soybean oil. Survey data were collected through a self-administered survey covering 804 randomly sampled urban residents in the eastern, central and western regions of China. Using a logit model, this analysis examines the impacts of influential factors on consumers' preference for traceability. The results show that about 56.5% of the respondents have a positive preference for the traceability of GM soybean oil. Factors increasing the preference for traceability include a better perception of the attributes of nutrition benefit and potential health risk, perceived inadequacy of simple mandatory labels, more attention paid to food labels, and distrust in the agencies overseeing GM food safety. Enhancing consumers' perceptions of GM-related attributes and awareness of food labels will help improve the mandatory labeling management of GM foods.

This study aims to explore the roles of consumers' risk and benefit perception and food information processes in predicting their acceptance of genetically modified food. We integrate the protective action decision and heuristic systematic models to develop a conceptual model to predict customers' purchase intention. We conducted a survey questionnaire with measures adapted from existing Likert scales. We used a sample of 573 respondents from Shandong Province, China, comprising people who had ever purchased genetically modified products. We tested our hypotheses using a structural equation model. Results suggest that perceived risk is a negative determinant of purchase intention, while perceived benefit is a positive factor of purchase intention. Moreover, perceived benefit is an important predictor of purchase intention. Perceived risk significantly affects information need, information seeking, and systematic processing. Perceived benefit has a positive relationship with information need and systematic processing. Information seeking is stimulated by information need and further predicts systematic processing. Our results suggest the effectiveness of the protective action decision and heuristic systematic models in predicting people's intention to purchase genetically modified food and highlight the importance of risk communications in this context., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Most studies exploring the public acceptance of genetically modified food (GMF) are based on social trust and the establishment of a causal model. The underlying premise is that social trust indirectly affects public acceptance of GMF through perceived risks and perceived benefits. The object of social trust is trust in people, organizations, and institutions. Different from the social trust, epistemic trust refers to people's trust in scientific knowledge behind the technology of concern. It has been shown that epistemic trust, like social trust, is also an important factor that affects the public perception of applicable risks and benefits. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate epistemic trust into the causal model to derive a more complete explanation of public acceptance. However, such work has not been conducted to date. The causal model proposed in this paper integrated epistemic trust and social trust and divided social trust into trust in public organizations and trust in industrial organizations. A representative questionnaire survey (N = 1091) was conducted with Chinese adults. The model was analyzed by the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. Three major findings were obtained: First, epistemic trust is an important antecedent of perceived risks and perceived benefits and exerts a significant indirect effect on the acceptance of GMF. Secondly, trust in industrial organizations negatively impacts perceived risks, while trust in public organizations positively impacts perceived benefits. Thirdly, contrary to the common opinion, trust in industrial organizations did not exert a significant direct effect on perceived benefits, and trust in public organizations did not demonstrate a significant direct effect on perceived risks. Therefore, trust in industrial organizations and trust in public organizations utilize different influence paths on GMF acceptance. This study enriches the understanding of the influence path of trust with regard to the acceptance of emerging technologies and is of great significance to relevant risk-management practices.

This paper analyses the factors influencing consumer-perceived risks of genetically modified (GM) food by using a structural equation model and survey data of urban residents in China. The sample is divided into the acquainted and unacquainted groups according to consumers' objective knowledge level. An integrated analytical framework is developed. The results show that consumers' positive attitude towards GM technology has a significant negative effect on consumer-perceived risks and that more information reaching consumers significantly reduces consumer-perceived risks of GM food only for the unacquainted group. Consumers' trust in government, biotechnology scientists, press media and food companies does not significantly influence consumer-perceived risks of GM food. This is likely because consumers have low trust in the abovementioned stakeholders of GM food. Consumers think that the information reaching them is limited and does not clearly show the advantages and disadvantages of GM food. Consumers' objective knowledge of GM food is also limited. The health risks of GM food are of high concern for both consumer groups. These findings imply that the commercialization of GM crops in China is dependent on providing consumers with adequate and understandable information about GM food and strict supervision measures for food safety., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

: Guided by the theory of reasoned action and media system dependency theory, this study examined attitude towards genetically modified foods (GMF) among university students in Kunming, China, as well as personal and media factors related to such attitude. Data were collected from an online survey with 467 university students across eight universities in Kunming. Results showed that attitude towards GMF were more negative than positive. Moreover, food neophobia and media attention were negatively associated with attitude towards GMF. In contrast, perceived benefit was positively associated with attitude towards GMF. Although the interaction between media dependency and media attention was significant, simple slope analysis confirmed that the interaction slopes were nonsignificant, suggesting that media attention did not moderate the association between media dependency and attitude towards GMF in this study. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This study examines messages contributed by scientists and laypeople to an online discussion about genetically modified food in China with the aim to understand whether and how scientists and laypeople apply different communication strategies with regard to framing, interaction features, and writing style. Both answers ( N = 100) and comments ( N = 2416) related to genetically modified food on Zhihu , the most popular social Q&A site in China, were analyzed. The analysis reveals that though there were no significant attitude differences between scientists and laypeople, the two groups tended to frame genetically modified food from quite different perspectives. Also, although scientist users were not perfect rationalists during online discussions, they were more likely to be both high-quality content contributors and active discussion facilitators.

What are the procedures and trends for obtaining approval for imported genetically modified (GM) crops in China, and how do approval dates and length of approval in China compare with those in other countries? The answers are crucial for current food security in China and the future of crops derived by gene editing., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This paper applies a structural equation modeling approach to study the formation of consumers' perceived health risk of genetically modified (GM) foods based on a cross-sectional dataset of 508 consumers in Xi'an, China. The results indicate a high percentage of respondents who believe that GM foods might threaten human health. The estimated structural equation model shows that males, older people, respondents with higher income, those with better educational attainment, and those with family members who need special care have higher perceived risks of GM foods. Effective risk communication is necessary to provide consumers with scientific information about GM foods in order to facilitate their understanding of the actual risks of GM foods.

Transgenic Bt cotton has been planted in China since 1997 and, in 2009, biosafety certificates for the commercial production of Bt rice and phytase corn were issued by the Chinese government. The public attitude in China toward agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) crops and foods has received considerable attention worldwide. We investigated the attitudes of consumers, Bt cotton farmers and scientists in China regarding GM crops and foods and the factors influencing their attitudes. Data were collected using interview surveys of consumer households, farmer households and scientists. A discrete choice approach was used to elicit the purchase intentions of the respondents. Two separate probit models were developed to examine the effect of various factors on the choices of the respondents. Bt cotton farmers had a very positive attitude because Bt cotton provided them with significant economic benefits. Chinese consumers from developed regions had a higher acceptance and willingness to pay for GM foods than consumers in other regions. The positive attitude toward GM foods by the scientific community will help to promote biotechnology in China in the future. Our survey emphasized that educational efforts made by government officials, the media and scientists can facilitate the acceptance of GM technology in China. Further educational efforts will be critical for influencing consumer attitudes and decisions of government agencies in the future. More effective educational efforts by government agencies and public media concerning the scientific facts and safety of GM foods would enhance the acceptance of GM crops in China.

Despite heated debates over the safety of genetically modified (GM) food, GM crops have been expanding rapidly. Much research has focused on the expansion of GM crops. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of non-genetically modified (non-GM) crops are not clear, although they may have significant environmental and agronomic impacts and important policy implications. To understand the dynamics of non-GM crops and to inform the debates among relevant stakeholders, we conducted spatiotemporal analyses of China's major non-GM soybean production region, the Heilongjiang Province. Even though the total soybean planting area decreased from 2005 to 2010, surprisingly, there were hotspots of increase. The results also showed hotspots of loss as well as a large decline in the number and continuity of soybean plots. Since China is the largest non-GM soybean producer in the world, the decline of its major production region may signal the continual decline of global non-GM soybeans.

The economic benefits of insect-resistant genetically modified (GM) crops have been well documented, but the impact of such crops and the consequent reduction in pesticide use on farmers' health remains largely unknown. Through the analysis of the data collected from the physical examination from farmers in China, we show that GM rice significantly reduces pesticide use and the resultant not only visible but also invisible adverse effects on farmers' neurological, hematological, and electrolyte system. Hence, the commercialization of GM rice is expected to improve the health of farmers in developing countries, where pesticide application is necessary to mitigate crop loss.

Objective: Despite public health efforts, folate deficiency is still largely prevalent in poor, rural populations and continues to cause a large burden of disease. The present paper determines and compares consumer preferences for two folate strategies: folic acid supplementation v. folate biofortification, i.e. the enhancement of the folate content in staple crops., Design: Experimental auctions with non-repeated information rounds are applied to rice in order to obtain willingness-to-pay for folate products. Thereby, GM or non-GM folate-biofortified rice (FBR) is auctioned together with rice that is supplemented with free folic acid pills (FAR)., Setting: Shanxi Province (China) as a high-risk region of folate deficiency., Subjects: One hundred and twenty-six women of childbearing age, divided into a school (n 60) and market sample (n 66)., Results: Despite differences according to the targeted sample, a general preference for folate biofortification is observed, regardless of the applied breeding technology. Premiums vary between 33·9 % (GM FBR), 36·5 % (non-GM FBR) and 19·0 % (FAR). Zero bidding behaviour as well as the product choice question, respectively, support and validate these findings. The targeted sample, the timing of the auction, the intention to consume GM food and the responsibility for rice purchases are considered key determinants of product choice. A novel ex-post negative valuation procedure shows low consistency in zero bidding., Conclusions: While the low attractiveness of FAR provides an additional argument for the limited effectiveness of past folic acid supplementation programmes, the positive reactions towards GM FBR further support its potential as a possible complementary micronutrient intervention.

Background: Golden Rice (GR) has been genetically engineered to be rich in β-carotene for use as a source of vitamin A., Objective: The objective was to compare the vitamin A value of β-carotene in GR and in spinach with that of pure β-carotene in oil when consumed by children., Design: Children (n = 68; age 6-8 y) were randomly assigned to consume GR or spinach (both grown in a nutrient solution containing 23 atom% ²H₂O) or [²H₈]β-carotene in an oil capsule. The GR and spinach β-carotene were enriched with deuterium (²H) with the highest abundance molecular mass (M) at M(β-C)+²H₁₀. [¹³C₁₀]Retinyl acetate in an oil capsule was administered as a reference dose. Serum samples collected from subjects were analyzed by using gas chromatography electron-capture negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry for the enrichments of labeled retinol: M(retinol)+4 (from [²H₈]β-carotene in oil), M(retinol)+5 (from GR or spinach [²H₁₀]β-carotene), and M(retinol)+10 (from [¹³C₁₀]retinyl acetate)., Results: Using the response to the dose of [¹³C₁₀]retinyl acetate (0.5 mg) as a reference, our results (with the use of AUC of molar enrichment at days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 after the labeled doses) showed that the conversions of pure β-carotene (0.5 mg), GR β-carotene (0.6 mg), and spinach β-carotene (1.4 mg) to retinol were 2.0, 2.3, and 7.5 to 1 by weight, respectively., Conclusions: The β-carotene in GR is as effective as pure β-carotene in oil and better than that in spinach at providing vitamin A to children. A bowl of ~100 to 150 g cooked GR (50 g dry weight) can provide ~60% of the Chinese Recommended Nutrient Intake of vitamin A for 6-8-y-old children.

Unlabelled: With the widespread use of Roundup Ready soy (event 40-3-2) (RRS), the comprehensive detection of genetically modified component in foodstuffs is of significant interest, but few protein-based approaches have been found useful in processed foods. In this report, the combination of quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blot was used to detect cp4-epsps gene and its protein product in different RRS plant tissues and commercial soy-containing foodstuffs. The foods included those of plant origin produced by different processing procedures and also some products containing both meat and plant protein concentrates. The validity of the 2 methods was confirmed first. We also showed that the CP4-EPSPS protein existed in different RRS plant tissues. In certain cases, the results from the western blot and the qPCR were not consistent. To be specific, at least 2 degraded fragments of CP4-EPSPS protein (35.5 and 24.6 kDa) were observed. For dried bean curd crust and deep-fried bean curd, a degraded protein fragment with the size of 24.6 kDa appeared, while cp4-epsps gene could not be traced by qPCR. In contrast, we found a signal of cp4-epsps DNA in 3 foodstuffs, including soy-containing ham cutlet product, meat ball, and sausage by qPCR, while CP4-EPSPS protein could not be detected by western blot in such samples. Our study therefore concluded that the combination of DNA- and protein-based methods would compensate each other, thus resulting in a more comprehensive detection from nucleic acid and protein levels., Practical Application: The combination of quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blot was used to detect cp4-epsps gene and its protein product in different Roundup Ready soy (event 40-3-2) plant tissues and commercial soy-containing foodstuffs. The foods included those of plant origin produced by different processing procedures and also some products containing a combination of both meat and plant protein concentrates. This study indicated that the combination of DNA- and protein-based methods would supplement each other for genetically modified detection from nucleic acid and protein levels. Accordingly, qPCR and western blot could be used in CP4-EPSPS detection in a wide variety of soy-related foodstuffs., (© 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®)

Consumption of resistant starch (RS)-enriched foods is associated with decrease in the postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses, accompanied by the production of fermentation-related gases in the large bowel. The present study aimed to determine the postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to the GM RS-enriched rice and the fermentation-related production of H2 in young and healthy Chinese adults. A total of sixteen young adults (nine men and seven women) were recruited and divided into three groups. Their postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to 40 g glucose, carbohydrates of RS or wild-type (WT) rice were tested by a crossover model with a washout period of 7 d. The concentrations of blood glucose and insulin as well as breath H2 were measured before and after food intake. Although the mean concentrations of fasting blood glucose, insulin and breath H2 were similar, consumption of the RS rice significantly decreased the values of glycaemic index (GI) and insulin index (II), as compared with the intake of WT rice (48.4 (sem 21.8) v. 77.4 (sem 34.9) for GI, 34.2 (sem 18.9) v. 54.4 (sem 22.4) for II, P < 0.05), respectively. Conversely, intake of the RS rice meal significantly elevated the concentrations of breath H2, as compared with WT rice (38.9 (sem 17.6) v. 10.5 (sem 3.7) parts per million for peak levels of breath H2, P < 0.05) through a period of 16-h tests. Consumption of the GM RS-enriched rice meal decreased the postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses and promoted RS fermentation-related production of H2 in the large bowel of young and healthy Chinese adults.

The traditional Chinese soybean paste was produced by cooked transgenic soybean fermentation with the composition of moisture 53%, amino acid 0.84% (calculated by nitrogen), votive sugar 6.21% and total acid 1.66%. A number of microorganism species were isolated and identified, including fungi and bacteria, and the bacterium species Rhizopus oryzae Went and Prinsen Geerligs were dominant in transgenic soybean paste. The results showed that the transgenic soybean paste contain abundant amino acids and vitamins (vitamin A, 42.87 IU; vitamin B, 10.31 mg; vitamin B, 20.64 mg; nicotinamide, 2.54 mg; pantothenic acid, 0.63 mg; vitamin B, 6,847 microg; folic acid, 105 microg; vitamin B, 123.85 microg; and biotin, 56.34 microg). Pathogenic microorganisms were not be detected in the transgenic fermented soybean paste.

The current status of production and application of biopesticides for pest control in China is briefly reviewed, with a focus on research advances in microbial control with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). These have led to improvements in Bt production, exploitation of Bt gene resources, and development of engineered Bt insecticides and transgenic Bt crops that have expanded host ranges and increased efficacy against target pests. Both conventional and biotechnology approaches need to be employed to achieve further progress in discovery, production technology, formulation processing, development of quality standards and recommended use patterns.

The biogeographical centers of origin of important food crops-called Vavilov centers-are considered to be crucial sources of genetic diversity for present and future crop-breeding programs and thus for human food safety worldwide. Global environmental change and more intensified modes of crop production may cause genetic erosion (loss of traditional crop varieties and loss of crop wild relatives), especially in Vavilov centers. The present study focused on how the risk of genetic erosion (or loss of agro-biodiversity) is perceived in comparison to 16 other risk topics by experts and lay people in Austria and China. The most striking result was that genetic erosion was perceived to be an exceptionally unknown and uncertain risk topic, given that only genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were perceived as being even more uncertain. As a consequence of the high uncertainty, the idea of applying the precautionary principle to further prevent genetic erosion is discussed. An unprecedented finding-one that differs from Austrian participants-is that the Chinese have a higher perceived control over all risk topics. The increased perception of controllability in China is discussed in light of the theory of reflexive modernization. This theory strives to explain the increased critical attitude in Western countries such as Austria toward scientific innovations and toward the idea that everything can be calculated and mastered at will. By revealing different notions of risk perception, this research also provides additional scientific input to risk communication efforts for public education.

This study explores the Chinese public's perceptions of, and attitudes to, agriculture and food applications of biotechnology; and investigates the effect of socio-demographic factors on attitudes. A questionnaire survey and interviews were used in an attempt to combine quantitative analysis with qualitative review. The main finding of this study is that the Chinese population has a superficial, optimistic attitude to agricultural biotechnology; and that, in accordance with public attitudes, a cautious policy, with obligatory labelling, should be adopted. The study reveals that education is the factor among socio-demographic variables with the strongest impact on public attitudes. Higher education leads to a more positive evaluation of GM (genetically modified) foods and applications of biotechnology with respect to usefulness, moral acceptability, and suitability for encouragement. In addition, public attitudinal differences depend significantly on area of residence. Compared with their more urban compatriots, members of the public in less developed areas of China have more optimistic attitudes, perceive more benefits, and are more risk tolerant in relation to GM foods and agricultural biotechnology. Finally we obtained a very high rate of "don't know" answers to our survey questions. This suggests that many people do not have settled attitudes, and correspondingly, that the overall public attitude to agricultural biotechnology and GM foods in China is at present somewhat unstable.

There is concern about the extent to which consumers will accept genetically modified (GM) foods if they are commercialized in China. The evidence from the existing literature is mixed and sometimes confusing. The objective of this study is to conduct a large in-depth face-to-face in-house survey that examines the consumers' awareness, acceptance of and willingness to buy GM foods in China. To achieve this objective, a well-designed consumer survey was conducted in 11 cities of five provinces in Eastern China in 2002 and 2003. The results indicate that despite much less information on GM foods available publicly in China, more than two thirds of consumers in urban areas have heard of GM foods. But their knowledge on biotechnology was limited. Chinese consumers' acceptance of and willingness to buy GM foods was much higher than in other countries. Chinese consumers also demonstrated great variance in their acceptance of different GM foods. Information and prices of GM foods were two important factors affecting consumers' attitudes toward GM foods. Based on the findings of this study and given that our sample is in the more developed eastern Urban China, we conclude that the commercialization of GM foods is not likely to receive great resistance from the consumers in China.