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Biotechnological Fruit

The average Kiwi is happy with the idea of genetically modified fruit if it means bigger, tastier food with less chemical residue, according to a survey by HortResearch's Food Science Group.

A postal study was carried out to measure New Zealanders' perceptions of the relative risks and benefits of a variety of fruit production methods, such as genetic engineering, use of chemical fertilisers, chemical pesticides, organic farming and irradiation.

The 511 respondents ranged in age from 15 to 60 years and came from both rural and city backgrounds. There was considerable consistency in their attitudes, despite wide variations in age, locality, socio-economic status and ethnicity.

The benefits of genetic engineering in fruit production, both personal and for New Zealand, were perceived to outweigh the risks to both consumers and the environment. However, the use of both pesticides and irradiation in fruit production were considered to be unacceptably risky techniques with few benefits.

Organic farming was perceived to have the highest benefits and lowest risks, and was therefore the most acceptable of the techniques tested.

When asked if they would eat an apple that had been "genetically engineered", about two-thirds stated that they would if it had increased size (62%), improved flavour (67%) or reduced chemical residues (66%).

Only a minority of respondents predicted that they would knowingly eat an apple which had been sprayed with pesticides to reduce pest damage (33%) or irradiated to reduce the need for chemical pesticides (31%).