Genetically modified maize: exploring consumer acceptance

Recent EU regulations have imposed mandatory labelling of all food products that consist of or contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Labelling should state that "this product contains genetically modified organisms". This study examines how different label messages may affect the attitude of consumers in tasting a specific food product (corn chip) derived from maize presented with five different labels ("organic corn", "conventional corn", "product that contains genetically modified corn", "product that contains genetically modified corn approved by EU", "non- classified corn"). Results of 100 Greek young students show that the label claiming that the product contains genetically modified corn, evokes a deeply rooted negative attitude as more than half of participants (59%) refused to taste even a single piece of the product. The label claiming that the product is genetically modified but approved by EU is viewed as more credible but still 29% refuse to sample. The conclusion is that although the feeling of trust increases considerably when the label message is supported by a certifying agency, still a large proportion (almost one third) of participants of technological level education refuse to taste a product that has been approved by the EU for almost a decade. This result demonstrates with an emphatic way the phobia surrounding genetically modified food. On the contrary, products labelled as "organic" were tasted by the majority of participants, even without any kind of certification. Key words : Genetically modified maize, labelling, acceptanceConsumer/Household Economics, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Genetically modified maize: exploring consumer acceptance

Recent EU regulations have imposed mandatory labelling of all food products that consist of or contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Labelling should state that "this product contains genetically modified organisms". This study examines how different label messages may affect the attitude of consumers in tasting a specific food product (corn chip) derived from maize presented with five different labels ("organic corn", "conventional corn", "product that contains genetically modified corn", "product that contains genetically modified corn approved by EU", "non- classified corn"). Results of 100 Greek young students show that the label claiming that the product contains genetically modified corn, evokes a deeply rooted negative attitude as more than half of participants (59%) refused to taste even a single piece of the product. The label claiming that the product is genetically modified but approved by EU is viewed as more credible but still 29% refuse to sample. The conclusion is that although the feeling of trust increases considerably when the label message is supported by a certifying agency, still a large proportion (almost one third) of participants of technological level education refuse to taste a product that has been approved by the EU for almost a decade. This result demonstrates with an emphatic way the phobia surrounding genetically modified food. On the contrary, products labelled as "organic" were tasted by the majority of participants, even without any kind of certification. Key words : Genetically modified maize, labelling, acceptanc

Characterization of Bacterial Microbiota of P.D.O. Feta Cheese by 16S Metagenomic Analysis

Background: The identification of bacterial species in fermented PDO (protected designation of origin) cheese is important since they contribute significantly to the final organoleptic properties, the ripening process, the shelf life, the safety and the overall quality of cheese. Methods: Ten commercial PDO feta cheeses from two geographic regions of Greece, Epirus and Thessaly, were analyzed by 16S metagenomic analysis. Results: The biodiversity of all the tested feta cheese samples consisted of five phyla, 17 families, 38 genera and 59 bacterial species. The dominant phylum identified was Firmicutes (49% of the species), followed by Proteobacteria (39% of the species), Bacteroidetes (7% of the species), Actinobacteria (4% of the species) and Tenericutes (1% of the species). Streptococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae were the most abundant families, in which starter cultures of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) belonged, but also 21 nonstarter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) were identified. Both geographical areas showed a distinctive microbiota fingerprint, which was ultimately overlapped by the application of starter cultures. In the rare biosphere of the feta cheese, Zobellella taiwanensis and Vibrio diazotrophicus, two Gram-negative bacteria which were not previously reported in dairy samples, were identified. Conclusions: The application of high-throughput DNA sequencing may provide a detailed microbial profile of commercial feta cheese produced with pasteurized milk