January 8/London/Guardian -- Two-thirds of the British public say it is "important" that genetically modified ingredients are labelled on food, according to a survey published by the government's Food Standards Agency (FSA), despite only a tiny number saying they look for GM information on labels.
The findings, drawn from interviews with 1,467 people for a report by the food watchdog on GM labelling, will be a "major blow" to the government's bid to win public acceptance for GM crops and food, anti-GM campaigners said. The environment secretary, Owen Paterson, recently told a farming conference, "we should not be afraid of making the case to the public about the potential benefits of GM."