John Stanton, Ph.D.
Professor of Food Marketing
News — John Stanton, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized marketing expert and consultant in the food industry, editor of the Journal of Food Products Marketing, and professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Stanton has completed primary research on consumer response to labeling and has studied the impact of GMOs on both the food industry and the consumer.
“While I believe people should know what they are buying, I think that labeling GMOs does a disservice to the food industry,” says Stanton. “It gives the impression that there are some negative health benefits to GMOs in your food, when in fact there is no scientific evidence that GMOs are bad for you.” In his regular column for Food Processing in 2014, Stanton encouraged the food industry to speak up about ingredients and why they are being used. “I don't think we as an industry should be against telling people what's in the food they buy,” he writes. “This also means that the food industry should take a positive stance on those ingredients they believe in.”
Stanton can be reached for further comment at 856-415-1774 (preferred) or [email protected].
Clint Springer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Plant biologist and associate professor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Clint Springer, Ph.D., studies plant responses to global changes in climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide. He has spoken about the science behind GMO’s in both popular media and academia.
"The Vermont labeling law will create a nearly nationwide social experiment of how consumers will view GMO labeling of food products,” says Springer, of the legislation that will go into affect July 1. “However, consumers should be aware that the United States National Academy of Sciences recently reiterated the findings of other scientific bodies that GMOs in food pose no threat to public health. This comes on the heels of a survey of fellows of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, where 88% of members agree that GMO technologies in food pose no threat to human health.
“The advent of GM technology in modern agriculture is the primary tool that scientists have at their disposal to produce enough food for the nine billion people we expect on the planet in the next 50-75 years,” adds Springer. “This technology will also be instrumental in ensuring that our food supply is secure with the continued pressure of climate change on our agricultural systems in the near future."
Springer can be reached for further comment at [email protected] or 913-523-3626.
Diane Phillips, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Marketing
Diane Phillips, Ph.D., is a consumer behavior expert and an associate professor of marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Phillips examines consumer attitudes, satisfaction, emotional responses, and consumer decision-making and has been writing, speaking and conducting research on sustainability for more than 20 years. She was recently quoted on customer response to GMO labeling in a leading consumer magazine.
In her 2013 study, “Consumer Risk Perceptions and Marketing Strategy: The Case of Genetically Modified Food,” published by Psychology & Marketing, Phillips found that “Consumers form very different product evaluations based on how unfamiliar technology (like the use of genetically modified ingredients) is framed, but these evaluations vary based on the level of their preexisting knowledge.”
“Consumers may be more willing to trust companies that label their products as containing GMOs,” she adds.
Phillips can be reached for further comment at [email protected] or 484-467-3864.
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