Americans Are Confused About Food And Don't Know Where to Turn For Answers

More than one-third of Americans do not know that foods with no genetically modified ingredients contain genes, according to the new nationally representative Food Literacy and Engagement Poll  recently conducted at Michigan State University. For the record, all foods contain genes, and so do all people. The majority of respondents who answered this question incorrectly were young and affluent, and also more likely than their peers to describe themselves as having a higher-than-average understanding of the global food system.The full survey revealed that much of the US public remains disengaged or misinformed about food. These findings are problematic because food shapes our lives on a personal level, while consumer choices and agricultural practices set the course for our collective future in a number of ways, from food production impacts to public health. When it comes to food, many Americans do not trust experts. Just 59 percent of respondents in our survey said that they trusted information from academic scientists on nutrition and food safety.Less than half (49 percent) trusted government scientists, and only one-third (33 percent) trusted industry scientists.Instead, consumers wade through conflicting recommendations from friends, relatives and celebrities that compete with fake news online for attention.