Genetic Engineering and Food: what determines consumer acceptance?

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Table of Content

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION3

Research Objective3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW5

Genetically Engineered Food5

Labelling GM Foods7

Consumer Acceptance8

Environmental Concerns8

Health Concerns9

Cultural Concerns10

Ethical Concerns10

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY13

Research Design13

Data Collection Method13

Samples and Sampling13

Research Instrument14

Variables14

CHAPTER 4: ANTICIPATED RESULTS AND CONCLUSION15

REFERENCES18

BIBLIOGRAPHY20

Chapter 1: Introduction

The development of the biological science of genetics began in the mid-1800s, when Gregor Mendel (1822-84) studied the characteristics of plants, and peas in particular, over several generations. His studies were followed by the development of hybrids by  Luther Burbank (1849-1926) through selective breeding. Between 1945 and 1965, the green revolution in agriculture greatly increased the world's food supply through the use of selective breeding of hybrid seeds, along with large quantities of pesticides and fertilizers.

The great advance in genetics came in 1953, with the discovery of the DNA molecule by James D. Crick (1928-) and Francis Watson (1916-2004). The secret of life is in the DNA, and especially in the genes on the chromosomes. Genes are attached to the DNA double helix. Genes are codes that process the information to manufacture proteins. To synthesize a protein, a complementary RNA molecule is produced. Its sequence orders a specific amino acid sequence of the protein.

Research Objective

To study that what determines the consumer acceptance for genetically engineered food, we must first discuss that what the objective of this research is. When identifying the social and ethical dimensions of an emerging technology it is often useful to begin with historical analogies.

The main objective of this research is that knowledge of the genes in food products allows breeders and seed developers to manipulate the genes in a great many ways. In some cases, genes have been removed. In other experiments, genes have been spliced to form new genetic combinations. The ability to manipulate food products or flowers or other biological forms has given scientists powerful tools for creating insect- and disease-resistant strains of plants. In this dissertation we are going to analyze that what determines the consumer's acceptance regarding genetically engineered food.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Genetics is the science that studies all aspects of inherited characteristics. When the knowledge obtained from genetic investigations is applied to altering the genetic makeup of a plant or animal, the process is called genetic engineering. Advances in the knowledge of the structure and function of genes have enabled researchers to modify the genetic constitution (genome) of organisms in hitherto unimagined ways (Burton, 2009, 17). Food production, waste disposal, and the manufacture of medicine can be enhanced by genetic engineering; researchers are working on curing genetic diseases using these techniques.

Genetic-engineering techniques include a wide range of procedures that alter the reproductive and hereditary processes of organisms. Depending on the problem, the procedures used may involve artificial insemination, cloning, in vitro fertilization, or the direct manipulation of the genetic material itself by the recombinant-DNA technique. In the 1990s, laboratories began developing GM organisms (GMOs). Some of the GMOs were agricultural seeds that were produced by manipulating genetic material in a variety of seeds. It was discovered that genetic material could be ...