Consumer research on new breeding techniques

New research from the Food Values Research Group provides insight into Australian and New Zealand consumers' attitudes towards the use of new breeding techniques in food production.

Recent qualitative focus group research by Food Values Research Group convenor Prof Rachel Ankeny and PhD student Rebekah Harms has shed light on Australian and New Zealand consumers' responses to the use of new breeding techniques in food production. The research was commissioned by FSANZ as part of their current review of definitions in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code for ‘food produced using gene technology’ and ‘gene technology’. The focus group research provided insight into consumers' knowledge of gene technologies as well as their thoughts on a range of gene technology applications, including heat tolerant cattle, high oleic soybean oil, drought-tolerant wheat, non-browning apples and sex-selected chickens. The pair were also involved in putting together a literature review, together with colleagues Dr Will Grant, Dr Heather Bray and Prof Joan Leach, which reviewed national and international scholarly and grey literature around older and newer breeding techniques. 

The literature review and focus group report can be found on the FSANZ website.