Public ‘mistrust’ of science is impeding the European food industry

European health and food safety commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis believes that scientific innovation in the European food industry has been held back by public scepticism of scientific discoveries.

“I firmly believe that public mistrust of science is actually holding us back in a number of key areas,” said Andriukaitis at an Ambrosetti Club Europe event.

On the issue of animal cloning, the European Commission (EC) said in a report that EU citizens were generally in opposition to the concept of animal cloning for food due to animal welfare issues, such as the development of cloned animals and their surrogates.

Andriukaitis noted that Europe was leading research with the first ever animal cloning experiments, including the first cloned animal Dolly the Sheep in Scotland twenty-one years ago. The regenerating tissue technology is no longer available. The European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) said that the technique does not affect the safety and quality of meat products.

The EU is strengthening its legislation to further tighten restrictions on animal cloning. The EC endorsed a ban on animal cloning in Europe, as well as a ban on importing food derived from cloned animals.

Andriukaitis also argued that plant genetic modification techniques could follow the same route, as public opinion opposing GMOs has led to stricter scrutiny by European lawmakers. This disadvantages Europe in the global economy as other countries with softer regulations will advance the technique and reap the benefits, according to Andriukaitis.

The food safety commissioner gave three general reasons for public mistrust in food science; the first being a technical challenge. He believes that the complexity of the process is met with disdain by the average consumer who doesn’t necessarily understand the science. Secondly, Andriukaitis argues there is an abundance of negative or false information surrounding animal cloning and GMO crops that is either false or only highlights the negative aspects of food science. The final obstacle is the ‘more conscious consumer’, who increasingly cares about where their food is coming from.

Food scares have also added to the issue of mistrust in food science, according to the food safety commissioner.

“Sensitivity over food safety remains high. Food scares and food safety incidents will inevitably arise from time to time and can easily damage a fragile public confidence,” he said in the speech.

Calling for rational public debate and better education on food science, he added: “We must fight the erosion and the misrepresentation of science so as to keep people abreast of developments, embracing new opportunities and overcoming the fear of change.”