GAINESVILLE — While consumers are aware of genetically modified crops and food, their knowledge level is limited and often at odds with the facts, according to a newly published study by a University of Florida researcher.

Last year, Brandon McFadden, an assistant professor of food and resource economics at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, published a study that showed scientific facts scarcely change consumers’ impressions of genetically modified food and other organisms.

Consumer polls are often cited in policy debates about genetically modified food labeling. This is especially true when discussing whether food that is genetically modified should carry mandatory labels, McFadden said.

In conducting their current study, McFadden and his colleague, Jayson Lusk, an agricultural economics professor at Oklahoma State University, wanted to know what data supported consumers’ beliefs about genetically modified food and gain a better understanding of preferences for a mandatory label.

So he conducted the survey to better understand what consumers know about biotechnology, breeding techniques and label preferences for GM foods.

Researchers used an online survey of 1,004 participants that asked questions to measure consumers’ knowledge of genetically modified food and organisms. Some of those questions tried to determine objective knowledge of genetically modified organisms, while others aimed to find out consumers’ beliefs about genetically modified foods and crops.

The results led McFadden to conclude that consumers do not know as much about the facts of genetically modified food and crops as they think they do.

Of those sampled, 84 percent supported a mandatory label for food containing genetically modified ingredients. However, 80 percent also supported a mandatory label for food containing DNA, which would result in labeling almost all food.

“Our research indicates that the term ‘GM’ may imply to consumers that genetic modification alters the genetic structure of an organism, while other breeding techniques do not,” McFadden said.

As participants answered questions designed to measure their knowledge of scientific data on genetic modification, respondents seemed to change their statements about the safety of genetically modified foods, McFadden said.

The study is published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal.

Brad Buck is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences science writer.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: University of Florida: Consumers know little about genetically modified food

CRESTVIEW — The American Red Cross urges blood and platelet donors to help ensure blood is available for patients during its annual summer awareness campaign, sponsored by Suburban Propane.

Crestview’s donation event is 2:30-7:30 p.m. June 3 at North Okaloosa Medical Center, 151 Redstone Ave. SE.

Those who give blood or platelets between May 27 and 31 will receive a Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.

The Red Cross relies on volunteer donors for the 14,000 blood donations needed every day to support patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide, a media release stated.  

However, during June, July and August, about two fewer donors schedule an appointment to give blood at each Red Cross blood drive than what patients need. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Red Cross sets Crestview blood donor event

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County has announced water quality test results for local parks.

No Okaloosa County parks have potentially hazardous bathing water, the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County stated May 23.

No parks failed tests based on EPA-recommended enterococci standards, and only one park, Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, Niceville, had moderate (instead of good) water quality.

Enteric bacteria's presence indicates fecal pollution from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife or human sewage.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa health department releases water quality results

CRESTVIEW — OneBlood, a local blood center, has scheduled donation drives to meet urgent needs for O Negative and O Positive blood.

The supply of O Negative and O Positive has reached “extremely low levels due to high usage in area hospitals,” a media release stated.

Hours at the Crestview Donor Center — 2400 Ferdon Blvd. S., Crestview — are:

●10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  May 26 and 30

●8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. May 24 and 27

●noon to 5 p.m. May 29

The Bloodmobile will be on site  from 4-9 p.m. May 27 at Marquis Cinema 10, 2828 Richbourg Lane, Crestview.

Generally healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: OneBlood sets O Negative, O Positive donation drives