While these raise important questions, they are not usually on the top of an average consumer's mind. Furthermore, consumers usually associate ethical issues with human or animal genetics, rather than with plants. Surveys indicate fairly high awareness of biotechnology in Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Sweden. But these are exceptions. Only about one-third of Japanese consumers reported much awareness of biotechnology in 1995 or 1998.
Most people get their information on biotechnology from media coverage.
If the media do not cover a particular story, the public tends to ignore that issue. The tone of information in the media has an important impact on consumer perceptions. This is a sharp contrast to the media coverage in the European Union. In fact, media coverage in the United Kingdom has taken on the characteristics of sensational tabloid journalism. That accounts for some of the negative consumer and food industry response in the United Kingdom.