People want GMO food labeled -- but don`t know what it means

After years of fierce debate involving scientists, food manufacturers, farmers and environmental groups, Congress has just passed a bill that would make it mandatory to inform consumers about the GMOs -- or genetically modified organisms -- in their food. The bill would require food companies to disclose whether their products contain genetically modified ingredients, whether in the form of a label or a scannable QR code on the packaging. Reports suggest that President Barack Obama is expected to sign it.

The bill has been quick to stir the continued controversy about the safety of genetically engineered crops and a consumer`s right to avoid them. But if the politics surrounding GMOs are complicated, the attitudes of everyday Americans toward them may be even more so. The new bill comes right on the heels of a recent survey, conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania`s Annenberg Public Policy Center and the University of Wisconsin-Madison`s Department of Life Sciences Communication, suggesting that most Americans support mandatory labeling laws -- but they also don`t know much about the science behind GMOs to begin with...