PSCI-COM members might be interested in this - an example of web-based
public consultation from BBSRC and Foresight

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Zero Calorie Cake - Consumers' View Sought

Zero calorie cake, broccoli that could combat cancer, and packaging that
warns you that its contents have gone off, are all on the menu in a
Government consultation, launched today, to test whether hypothetical foods
of the future are to the taste of UK consumers.

Consumers are being asked to say what they think about hypothetical future
foods through an online consultation site being hosted by the Biotechnology
and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The consultation, which is
part of a national study under the DTI's Foresight programme, will help to
provide recommendations to Government, industry and other organisations.

The consultation site can be found at:
www.bbsrc.ac.uk/life/scififoods/index.html

Alastair Robertson, Chair of the Foresight Food Chain and Crops for Industry
Panel and Director of the Institute of Food Research, said:

"Technology has given us a wider variety of foods than ever before, and made
food safer to eat and longer-lasting. But many people are concerned that new
technology may be introduced without adequate information and public debate
about their potential benefits and risks. This consultation is part of a
national exercise to find ways of improving communication and dialogue with
the public about potential new future foods."

The consultation will take place throughout the next month and asks visitors
whether they would buy any of the five hypothetical food products described
on the site:

Anti-Cancer Broccoli: Broccoli could be good for your health in an
unexpected new way. In the future we could see vegetables that, when eaten
lightly cooked, deliver a dose of a potent anti-cancer chemical.

Long-Life Lasagne: Imagine a range of meals, such as lasagne, which you
don't have to refrigerate and which last on your shelf as long as a tin of
beans.

The Scottish Banana: Tropical fruits like bananas can't grow in the British
climate and so have to be transported a long way to reach our table. New
technologies could give us varieties of fruit that can grow out-of-doors in
the cold climate of the UK. So, people in Scotland could be eating
home-grown "Scottish Bananas".

Smart Labelling - food packaging with a brain: What if our food packaging
actually warned us when the food had gone off, could talk to your microwave
or tell you where exactly the ingredients have come from?

Zero-Calorie Cake: In the future, food technology may make it possible to
develop cakes that have extremely low calories (or even no calories), but
which taste as good as conventional cakes.

Visitors to the site are given some of the pros and cons of these
technologies and asked for their opinions. Some of the issues they are asked
to comment on include:

- Would consumers actually benefit from this?
- Would you personally be worried by the development of this product?
- What other benefits and risks are there?
- Are the risks associated with this product hidden from the consumer?
- Do you trust those responsible for ensuring the product is safe?
- Would you like to know more about the technology before you used this?

The Consultation forms part of BBSRC Life - a collection of on-line
exhibitions exploring the science and issues of biological research.
www.bbsrc.ac.uk/life

A report on the consultation will be published later in the year.

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Paul Deards, Web Editor
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Polaris House, Swindon SN2 1UH, UK
Tel: +44 1793 413279
Visit our website at http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk
Explore the Science of Life at http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/life