Will Consumers Patronize Lab-Grown Meat and Fish?
Nicholas Alifa
Food Research Scientist | Commonwealth Scholarship Alumni | Harvard Executive Education Alumni | I help the food industry leverage data and digital technology to achieve sustainability objectives.
Last week, I reported a summary of the FAO and WHO's stance on the safety of lab-grown meat and fish products. The newsletter sparked a lot of discussion among experts and consumers in my circle, with mixed reactions on whether this type of meat is safe, healthy, or ethical. Someone even responded, "I don't care what the WHO and FAO say; it's unsafe." This raises the question of whether consumers will accept the product.
Interestingly, one expert I spoke with and her team conducted an empirical study on the acceptance of lab-grown meat in South Africa. This study is crucial because, while the FAO and WHO did not identify hazards that aren't already common to conventional meat in cultured meat, there are concerns about whether consumers, particularly in Africa, will be open to consuming it due to social and cultural factors.
C.Z. Tsvakirai and her team created a tool to measure how willing people in South Africa are to try cultured meat. The tool looked at specific things that people might be worried about when it comes to this new kind of meat, including quality, economic, ethical, health and safety, and socio-cultural concerns.?
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The researchers found that people in South Africa were generally not afraid to try cultured meat, but they had some concerns about its quality compared to conventional meat. The researchers believe older people may be more hesitant to try cultured meat than younger people. However, if marketing efforts target social concerns, this could increase acceptance among meat-eaters, people reducing their meat consumption, household heads, and consumers from high-income provinces.
The study recommended that collaboration between the public and private sectors will be key to addressing consumer concerns and ensuring the safety and quality of cultured meat. This could involve setting legislation around food safety and quality standards.
Although the research was specific to South Africa, the findings could have broader implications for the global adoption of cultured meat. As the world seeks more sustainable protein sources, understanding consumer attitudes toward lab-grown meat will become increasingly important.
What about you? Will you ever try lab-grown meat? Why or why not. Use the comment session below
Co-Founder at TagAlong Technologies Limited
1 年I’ll prefer natural meat than lab grown meat… because personally, I feel it’s genetically modified.
Agribusiness Finance & Investment Professional| Agriculture| Food| Agro-Allied| Renewables| Circular Economy| Rural Sector| Industry & Market Analysis| Strategy & Policy| Monitoring & Evaluation| Development & Management
1 年I am in my late 40s and I say never! I would not! We are still battling with processed food induced cancer that is almost attaining epidemic proportions, now its lab cultured meat? I would not even knowingly consume meat from animals bred through stem cell culture or tissue culture talkless of meat produced in the lab. As a food lover, I can decipher the differences in the taste and flavour of fishes cultured in plastic tanks different from concrete ponds and different from earthen ponds, I am that finicky.
Researcher| Food and Beverage Formulator| Cosmetics Formulator| SMEs Startup Consulting Services
1 年Thanks for posting Nicholas Alifa. Personally, I will find it strange to consume lab grown.meat. It will take time for acceptance.