A 2,032-person survey by YouGov has revealed that as the cell-ag industry has advanced, so has consumer perception of it – although improvements in taste, price and food safety awareness are key to wider adoption.

In 2012, 19% of consumers in the UK said they would be willing to eat cell-based meat, according to a YouGov poll. Now, twelve years later, that number has risen to 26%, with Brits more aware of the climate and welfare impacts of these novel proteins.

The study showed that around 25% of UK consumers say they’d try cultivated meat, recognising its animal welfare and environmental value – but taste and price remain major obstacles – while 74% of British citizens say that they have now heard of cultivated meat.

Demographics

The YouGov poll also found that 54% of consumers would avoid cultivated meat than try it – this was particularly higher among women, older citizens and people who don’t eat meat.

The survey revealed that men (36%) and people aged 18-24 (36%) are more likely than women (16%) and British citizens aged 50 and above (~60%) to try cell-based meat.

The novel food was most unpopular with non-meat-eaters. The results found that 82% said they wouldn’t consume it.

Mirroring trends in the US, supporters of right-wing parties like the Conservatives and Reform UK were less interested in cell-based meat (20% and 17%, respectively) than centrists and leftists such as the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats (30% each).

Selling cell-based

The YouGov study also asked if cell-based meat should be allowed for sale, finding that Brits are more in favour of the government greenlighting cultured meat for pets than humans. 48% of consumers supported cultivated meat being sold for pets, versus 30% who voted against it. This is particularly interesting as, last month, Meatly received the UK’s first approval of cultivated meat for its cultured chicken pet food.

Currently, the UK’s Food Standards Agency is assessing applications for cultivated beef from Israel’s Aleph Farms, chicken from French firm Vital Meat and duck foie gras from Gourmey, which is also based in France.

Environment and animal welfare

In a positive sign for the alt-protein sector, UK citizens recognise the environmental and welfare credentials of cell-based meat – 47% of respondents believe these proteins are better for animal welfare than conventional meat, and 43% find them environmentally superior. 11% said they felt it would be worse for both animal welfare and the environment.

Taste and texture

The survey found that just 3% of UK consumers think that cell-based meat would taste better than conventional meat, with 30% saying that both would taste the same. 35% of respondents said that cell-based meat tastes worse, while 32% of consumers said they did not know how the novel food would taste.

Safety and public health

16% of respondents suggested that cell-based meat would be safer than conventional meat, versus 24% who said it would have the same health effects and 27% who felt it would be worse. 33% said they did not know whether it’s safer or not.

The poll also asked British consumers what animal meat would be acceptable to grow.

Matthew Smith, head of data journalism at YouGov, said: “Despite the implication that lab-grown meat would not require the slaughter of animals, nor be subject to the same food safety risks of eating e.g. wild animals, the public are significantly less likely to think it would be acceptable to create lab-grown meat from animals not traditionally eaten as food."

Last week YouGov released the results of a survey on Swiss consumers' acceptance of precision-fermented products. Read the findings here.

Top image: ©Aleph Farm's cultivated beef steak

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