Less than a fifth of consumers are keen to try lab-grown meat - despite promises it could reach supermarket shelves by 2022, according to exclusive research for The Grocer from Harris Interactive.
Only 16% said they would eat so-called cultured meat, in which animal cells are grown into cuts of meat, removing the need for slaughter - with 50% rejecting the idea outright and 34% unconvinced. Dodgy chemicals were the biggest concern (56%) followed by long-term side effects (49%) and the fact that cultured burgers, steaks and meatballs weren’t ‘natural’ (48%).
The results come as US startups Memphis Meats and SuperMeat claim their cultured meat products could be ready for the market within five years, raising more than $300k collectively in the past six months via crowdfunding.
But only 28% of UK consumers agreed their work to produce meat without the need for livestock farming was a positive step, despite the firms’ insistence it could end animal cruelty, reduce the impact of meat production on the environment and create healthier cuts of meat.
“It appears we are quite simply opposed to the idea of cultured meat without knowing much about it or the benefits it could have,” said head of consumer and retail research at Harris Lucia Juliano. “If people knew more about cultured meat and its potential advantages, they may be more open to the idea.”
Forty-one per cent said assurances these products were safe may convince them to try it, but they shouldn’t let safety concerns put them off, said spokeswoman for scientific funding body New Harvest Erin Kim. “I don’t think cultured meat would ever reach consumers if it weren’t safe to consume,” she said.
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