This study was analyzed to provide fundamental data of food safety education way on the recognition, knowledge and purchase attitude of GMO foods. Data was collected from 270 University students in the Gyeong-gi region through a self-administered questionnaire. According to the results of the reliability and factor analysis, the knowledge and purchase attitude of GMO foods showed 0.742 and 0.832 in Cronbach alpha coefficient, 0.791 and 0.831 in KMO. There were significant differences in the recognition and intake possibility and purchase will, safety and absorption to a GMO foods between the specialty person and non-specialist (p<0.05). By the kind of GMO foods it appeared highly by the order corn (70.0%), tomato (67.5%), beans (63.3%) and potato (51.3%). There were significant differences in the general knowledge of GMO foods (p<0.05), whereas no significant differences in question ‘There were no genes in ordinary beans’ by a presence of a specialty (p>0.05). After the purchase attitude difference to the GMO foods was analyzed by a presence of a specialty, I appeared most highly in the question to which I say ‘I think a GMO foods is ethical.’ by a negative question and ‘I think a GMO foods is mass-produced, and it's possible to make a food problem decrease.’ by an affirmative question. Therefore, the purchase attitude of GMO foods showed a significant differences of University students according to their major (p<0.05). Based on this study, it is considered that provision of detailed and continuous education must be accomplished by raising the recognition of GMO foods and its acceptance level, allowing a proper understanding of GMO foods to be conveyed and assisting subjects from receiving the information they desire effectively by various education mediums.

This study was a survey of consumer awareness and attitudes about genetically modified foods and their labeling regulations. Questionnaires were distributed to 4,620 consumers who lived in different areas of Korea, and 4,076 people responded. The consumers were asked about knowledge, labeling information, and their sources of information about GM foods. Respondents from Seoul, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam answered mostly "nearly don't know > moderate > never know > know a little." Respondents from Gyeonggi answered "moderate > nearly don't know > never know > know a little." According to occupation, housewives, company employees, consultants, and students answered mostly "nearly don't know > moderate > never know > know a little. "Consumers answered about the intent to buy GM foods differently according to area, occupation, and education. Seoul and Gyeonggi residents said that reinforcing factors to relieve the insecurity of GM foods were "evaluating safety > management of GM foods by the government > GM food regulation system." There were other answers according to area, occupation, and education. About GM-related education methods that they wished to have, residents of the Seoul area said "books/leaflets" most often, but residents of the Gyounggi area said "attending a lecture" most often. Housewives also said "attending a lecture," but teachers and students said "Internetbased education" most often. About the kinds of education that they could join, Seoul residents answered "consumer groups > school parents > public institutions," but Gyeonggi and Chungnam area residents answered "public institutions > consumer groups > school parents." Housewives and students answered "consumer groups" most often, but consultants and private business owners answered "public institutions" most often. We realized that different education methods were necessary for different areas, occupations, and education levels.

A survey on consumer’s awareness and perception toward genetically-modified (GM) foods was conducted on 2110 random samples of Korean consumers. More than 65% of the respondents were exposed to some information related to GM foods. The respondents answered that the greatest benefit of the development of GM foods is remedy of potential food shortages in the future. More than 90% of Korean consumers wanted GM foods to be labeled as such. More than 50% of the respondents would not buy until they know more about GM foods. Only 35.8% of Korean consumers were found to know that food items originating from plants contained genes. More consumers responded that they would not buy herbicide-resistant GM soybean but buy vitamin-enriched GM soybean. Many Korean consumers' decision of acceptance or rejection of GM foods depend not on the basis of biotechnology, but on the basis of the degree of benefit to the consumers. Only 6.4% of Korean consumers responded that GM foods were the greatest threat to the safety of Korean foods. The perception of Korean consumers on GM foods has not changed significantly during the past 5 years.

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of trust, knowledge, optimism, risk and benefits on consumer attitudes toward genetically modified foods. A total of 326 questionnaires were completed. Moderated regression analysis was used to measure the relationships among the variables. The analysis results for the data indicated a good model fit in Model 2 rather than Model 1, in which the direct effects of trust, optimism and benefits had statistically significant direct effects on the respondents' attitudes toward genetically modified foods, while the direct effects of knowledge and risk were not statistically significant. As expected, the interaction term of risk and benefit had a significant effect on consumer attitude. Moreover, the effect of risk on consumer's attitude toward genetically modified foods was statistically significant at all levels of benefit, except at the lower benefit level. Finally, the results of this study indicated that genetically modified food developers and marketers should attach importance to the interaction effect of benefits to understand the elements of market demand and customer loyalty.

유전자재조합식품과 관련된 담당 총무원 및 기타 전문가들의 인지도출 조사하기 위해서 설문조사를 실시하였다. 응답자들을 근무년수별, 소속별, 업무별로 분류하였으며 설문지의 각 문항에 대한 결과는 위 분류별로 통계분석하여 빈도수 및 응답률로 나타내었다. 조사 결과, 유전자재조차식품에 대해 들어본 경험은 95% 이상으로 나타났으며, 유전자재조합식품의 혜택은 식량난 해결이라고 가장 만이 응답하였다. 유선자재조합식품의 표시에 대해서는 '90% 이상이 표시해야 한다' 또는 '가급적 표시해야 한다'로 응답하석 식품위생공무원 및 기타 전문가들은 유전자재조합 표시를 절실히 필요로 하고 있었으며 학력 수준 및 전문 수준이 높을수록 구입하여 먹을 의향이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 응답자 대부분은 근무년수별, 소속별, 업무별 구분에 상관없이 기본적인 지식은 있는 것으로 나타났으나 시·도 공무원 및 국립검역소 그룹은 다른 전문가 그룹에 비해서 유선자재조합식품에 대한 정보가 부족한 깃으로 나타났다. 유전자재조합식품에 대한 안전성 인식은 대제로 안전하다는 견해를 가지고 있었으나 20년 이상 근무자와 일반 행정 업무자는 다른 그룹에 비매시 안신하지 않거나 불안하다는 견해를 더 많이 나타냈다 식품의 안전성을 위협하는 가장 큰 요인은 ‘식품취급 부주의 및 취급 불량'으로 응답하였으며, 유전자재조합식품이 위협요인이라고 응답한 사람은 매우 적었나(4.4%). 결론적으로 유전자재조합식품 관련 공무원 및 기타 전문가들은 일반시민들에 비해서 섭취나 안전성에 보다 긍정적인 견해를 나타냈지만 생물학 지식에 대해서는 그룹별 차이가 있었으며 유전자재조한식품에 대한 민인업무 치리에 어려운 점을 겪고 있는 것으로 보아 관련 전문가들에게도 교육 및 홍보가 필요한 것으로 파악되었다

유전자재조합식품의 안전성과 표시에 관한 일반국민의 의식을 2000년과 2001년 5월 9월 사이에 각각 750명과 979명을 대상으로 설문조사하였다. 평균 67.7%의 응답자가 유전자재조합식품에 관한 정보를 접한 경험이 있었다. 유전자재조합식품이 줄 수 있는 최대의 이점은 식량난해결이라는 의견을 나타냈다. 유전자재조합식품에는 90%이상의 응답자가 표시하기를 바랐으며 현재 구입하여 먹겠다는 사람은 18%이었고 기다려보겠다는 관망형이 49%를 넘어서 표시를 희망하면서도 결정을 유보하는 사람의 비율이 많았다. 유전자재조합기술로 개발된 제초제 내성 콩을 먹겠다는 사람보다 같은 방법으로 개발된 비타민 함량이 높은 콩을 먹겠다는 사람이 상대적으로 많은 것으로 보아 제품의 특성을 중시하지 유전자재조합 여부에는 큰 관심을 두지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 우리가 먹는 생물 유래의 식품에 유전자가 있다는 사실을 바르게 알고있는 응답자는 전체의 40% 정도였다. 유전자재조합식품이 위험할 것이라고 생각하는 사람은 지극히 적어서 응답자의 4%정도를 유지하였다. 유전자재조합 옥수수인 스타링크의 뉴스를 접한 경험이 있는 응답자가 66%나 되었던 반면 2001년 7월부터 실시된 유전자재조합 표시제의 시행에 대해 알고있는 소비자는 22%에 지나지 않았다.

A survey was conducted to investigate consumers' attitudes toward the foods developed by gene recombination techniques from December, 1999 to April, 2000. The questionnaires were mailed to 1,500 people, and the 1,101 people responded. The consumers were asked about knowledge, acceptance, intention of purchasing, and labeling information. Although the portion of the consumers (88.8%) knowing the genetically modified foods (GMF) was lower than that of the food expert group (98.7%), many consumers had some knowledge on the GMF, which may be influenced by news released from mass media. Seventy-nine percent of the consumers responded that gene recombination technology is necessary in food production, which is similar to the findings on the survey of the expert group. The portion of the consumers responding that these foods are potentially hazard was 88.1 %, which is a little higher than the data (80.9%) from the expert group. The consumers having greater knowledge less worried about a potential hazard of the gene recombinant foods (p＜0.01). Although 62.9% of the consumers responded to be willing to purchase those foods, only 16.2% of them responded to purchase the foods with no conditions, which is lower to that from the expert group (23.5%). There was no statistically significant relationship between the knowledge and the intention of purchasing. The ninety point three percent of the consumers wanted the information on gene recombination to be labeled on the foods. The data from this survey suggest that knowledge of the consumers on the GMF are not accurate, so proper strategy for consumer education may need to be developed. In addition, it is necessary to improve safety assessment sys0etn and analytical techniques for genetically modified foods (GMF) and to build pre- and post-market surveillance system for efficient implementation of the GMF labeling.