Grow Your Own Food

Scientists had previously lauded the development, which could potentially revolutionise the meat industry, end the inhuman slaughter of animals, curb the rates of rainforest conversion to farmland, and swiftly aid famine in times of need.

MindMover panelists, however, have been much less enthusiastic.

Feedback has suggested that recent events in the food industry, such as the horsemeat scandal, have seemingly left a lasting impression on consumers. Awareness of “hidden” substances in food is high. Certainly many more food-buyers seem concerned about mystery ingredients in the food that they buy, and there is a real sense of fear and distrust around the idea that “lab-grown” meat could contain chemicals or additives that could cause unforeseen health problems in the long-term.

Certainly it is the concerns about synthetic food being passed off as something natural that has caused the largest upset amongst panelists, who are already bothered by the idea of GM or “Frankenstein” food making its way into the food chain. In order to appeal to the mass-market, perhaps those scientists continuing the research could look at the Quorn model, not to replicate meat but to create an alternative out of existing accepted ingredients. For now though, it sounds like people are still far from convinced about tucking in to a laboratory-grown burger any time soon!

Tpoll’s Mindmover is a UK nationwide panel of over 45,000 registered participants – go online and go and express your view. Contact Peter.Murgett@Tpoll.com