Would you eat lab-grown meat?

CULTURED meat or lab-grown meat is nothing new, but then again producing it is very expensive. But that which isn’t real or natural could be a setback not only for meat eaters, the squirmy or those who prefer more naturally produced products.

The new online survey by specialist PR agency Ingredient Communications through Surveygoo shows the thoughts of 1,000 consumers in the UK and USA about cultured meat. It says 29% of consumers would eat cultured meat; 40% would eat it, and 60% of vegans are willing to try it. These were the results when respondents were told that cultured meat was real meat grown from cells in a laboratory and not sourced from animals. They were then asked if they would be willing to eat this type of meat if it was available to buy in shops and restaurants. 

The survey findings show that American respondents (40%) were much more likely to choose to eat cultured meat than those in the UK (18%). The results suggest that cultured meat pioneers would be well advised to target the US market first.

In what was perhaps a surprising twist, vegan respondents were revealed as the consumer segment most likely to eat cultured meat, with 60% stating they would be willing to do so. The figure was lower for vegetarians (23%) and pescatarians (21%). Meanwhile, 28% of meat eaters – the largest cohort in the survey (888 of 1,000) – said they were prepared to give cultured meat a try.

Richard Clarke, Founder & Managing Director of Ingredient Communications, said: “It’s easy to see why so many consumers welcome the prospect of lab-grown meat. People enjoy eating meat, but often feel guilty about related issues such as animal welfare and the impact of farming on the environment. Cultured meat addresses those concerns, which is a compelling benefit. Nevertheless, we were surprised by how many respondents expressed a willingness to eat cultured meat. It’s such a new concept and when you consider the backlash against GMOs, and the unstoppable momentum of the naturalness trend, it seems counter-intuitive that people would be willing to eat meat produced in a laboratory. However, our survey shows that it has appeal for a significant proportion of consumers, particularly those in America.”

Richard added: “Particularly interesting was the fact that vegans were by some distance more likely to eat cultured meat than any other group. This could be because vegans, perhaps more than any other group, are always on the look-out for new, ethical sources of protein. This offers interesting potential for companies operating in the embryonic cultured meat industry.”

Neil Cary, Managing Director of Surveygoo, commented: “The results of this survey indicate that there is a huge difference between how US and UK consumers perceive cultured meat. It shows how countries which, on the surface, appear to share many similar values, may in fact diverge quite widely on certain issues. It’s very early days for cultured meat and our findings highlight the value of asking consumers how they feel about cutting-edge developments such as these.”

Related report: Cultured meat as an option?