In the final analysis, various arguments and differences of genetically modified food (GMF) are social assessments. The public is the important subject of social assessment and its value and significance are self-evident in the social assessment of GMF. There are some problems in public participation in the social assessment of GMF in China such as the subject of social assessment has insufficient understanding in concept, the mechanism of social assessment is unreasonable, the public is faced with dilemma in language context, and the effective ways of public participation are obviously insufficient. In order to solve these problems, it is necessary to enhance the concept of social assessment subjects, improve the mechanism of social assessment of GMF, increase scientific quality of the public, perfect dialogue context, and enlarge the channels of public participation in the social assessment of GMF, which will promote healthy, orderly and sustainable development of GMF.