New research from the Food Standards Agency is investigating how willing consumers are to taste test alternative protein products.
The survey largely focused on three different food categories: cultivated meat, edible insects, and plant-based proteins.
According to the findings, one third of UK consumers said they were willing to try cell-based meat.
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While some reported they would be unwilling to try cultivated meat, over a quarter said they could be persuaded if they knew it was safe. And just under a quarter (23%) said they could be persuaded if they could trust that it was properly regulated.
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Participants were also asked whether they would be willing to try edible insects, with one quarter saying they would.
Awareness of edibile insects was ever so slightly higher (80%) than for cultivated meat (78%) and… environmental sustainability was the most common reason for being willing to try them.
Participants were also asked how willing or unwilling they would be to try edible insects in different forms. Whole edible insects were least favoured. But when edible insects were ground into food for added protein and incorporated into food products such as bread, burgers, or falafel balls, nearly two in five (37%) said they would give them a go.
