Monday Poll results: Many show support for GMO labeling

The Food and Drug Administration has approved two kinds of genetically engineered apples as safe, saying they are as nutritious as their conventional counterparts. The Associated Press/Okanagan Specialty Fruits

This week’s survey followed U.S. House passage of a bill to prohibit states and localities from requiring labels on food products that contain genetically modified ingredients. The bill’s co-sponsor is Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican.

Some readers expressed bafflement over the two-pronged third statement, and editors in the Monday Poll lab will ponder that feedback while creating future surveys.

Nevertheless, here are the results, based on more than 400 responses.

1) Respectable science organizations have declared that GMOs are generally safe, so labels are unnecessary.

Agree strongly. 18%

Agree somewhat. 4%

Disagree somewhat. 10%

Disagree strongly. 68%

2) Suppressing GMO labeling is just another victory for corporate America, industrial agriculture and their friends and water carriers in Congress.

Agree strongly. 79%

Agree somewhat. 4%

Disagree somewhat. 4%

Disagree strongly. 13%

3) I’m generally not concerned about the widespread adoption of GMOs, but, still, it would be helpful to know what’s in our food and how it was made.

Agree strongly. 34%

Agree somewhat. 25%

Disagree somewhat. 13%

Disagree strongly. 28%

4) Labeling should not be a federal mandate, Pompeo says, but states and localities can’t decide for themselves? I’m confused and disappointed by this logic.

Agree strongly. 64%

Agree somewhat. 8%

Disagree somewhat. 4%

Disagree strongly. 24%

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Monday Poll results: Many show support for GMO labeling."

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