Survey: 4 in 10 Americans ‘scared’ of lab-based meat

Consumers are aware and interested in technology-driven foods, but still skeptical about lab-grown options, reveals a new poll from marketing and communications agency, Charleston|Orwig.

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Consumers are aware and interested in technology-driven foods, but still skeptical about lab-grown options, reveals a new poll from marketing and communications agency, Charleston|Orwig.

Forty percent of those surveyed said that they were unwilling to try foods or beverages created in the lab. Lab-grown food and beverages are created with cultured cells from plants, animals, fungi and microbes.

When asked why they found synthetic or lab-produced foods and beverages scary, respondents indicated that a lack of understanding of long-term health impacts and concerns about the impact on the environment.

The survey did show an emerging awareness of technology-driven food. More than half of respondents indicated that lab-produced foods and beverages is likely to have a place within the food industry.

“The growth of food technology doesn’t mean the end of poultry. But it does mean that the marketplace is changing,” Mark Gale, partner and CEO of Charleston|Orwig, said. “Companies that produce lab-based food promote sustainability and animal-welfare issues, two issues that are important to consumers.  I think the poultry industry should be mindful of that and thinking about, well, what's our story?”

Greater acceptance by younger consumers

Gen Z and millennials showed the greatest interest in trying lab-based foods. Only 26% of  the 18 to 24-year-olds surveyed indicated an unwillingness to try lab-grown foods or beverages, with 20% calling these types of products “cool” and the “future of foods/beverages.”

Comparatively, 46% of respondents over the age of 55 said that synthetic foods were “scary.”

“In this study and in other studies that we've done, we’ve found that the younger consumer is concerned about sustainability and animal welfare-related issues. So, if they see two products, and they perceive one as being more sustainable, those younger consumers will make purchase decisions on that basis. And that's not something that was part of life for older consumers,” Gale explained.

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