Genetically modified foods: Food consumer awareness in Enugu, Nigeria

Type Journal Article - JoKULL Journal
Title Genetically modified foods: Food consumer awareness in Enugu, Nigeria
Author(s)
Volume 66
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2016
Page numbers 76-84
Abstract
Representing higher agricultural productivity, genetically modified foods (GMFs) are promising
for food security, especially in the face of current external effects of climate change, economic
growth and the need to improve human health and protect the environment. Application of
GMFs is increasing in the United States of America, Canada, Argentina and Brazil. GMFs
increasingly appear on shelves of department stores in America and other industrialised
countries, as well as in developing countries, such as Burkina Faso, Sudan and Brazil. This
study was aimed at esimating the level of awareness of GMFs and awareness sources among
food consumers in Enugu, Nigeria – an ancient coal-city of great political, commercial and
socio-economic importance. Questionnaire was used to elicit information from randomly
selected patrons of department stores. Average mean score technique was used to test the
hypothesis. Results show that sampled food consumers were very much aware of GMFs
(26.67%), not very much aware (36.7%), not sure (1.6%), and not aware at all (21%) through
newspaper (21.67%), institutions (13.34%), family/friends (30%), television (38.33%), radio
(33.33%), reports (3.33%), seminars/conferences (10%), books (10%), journals/articles (3.33%),
and Internet (11.33%). Increased publicity of GMFs was recommended to enable food
consumers make informed choices.

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