Trust in sources of information about genetically modified food risks in the UK

Perceptions of trust have been identified as an important element in the risk communication process. This research is concerned with establishing the degree of trust the general public has in various possible sources of information about the health effects associated with consuming genetically modified food. Participants were asked directly about the degree to which they would trust information about the health effects associated with consuming genetically modified food from a variety of sources, including a fictitious source included as a control. They were also asked about the degree to which they believed each source had a vested interest in misinforming the public about the possible health effects associated with such consumption, and the degree of knowledge they believed each source had about any possible health effects. The results indicate that perceptions of “vested interest” and “degree of knowledge” are important elements in determining levels of trust, although probably not exhaustive. Furthermore, that younger consumers are likely to be the most responsive audience for risk information, but general audience response to risk information is likely to be influenced by preconceptions about the source of the information, preconceptions that can be derived entirely from the name of the information source.