# Consumer Acceptance of Cultured Meat: An Updated Review (2018-2020)
## 10 Conclusions  
Overall, recent research on the consumer acceptance of cultured meat confirms many of the broad findings observed in previous research, and develops these insights further to examine particular ways in which specific attitudes inform consumer opinions, how these may vary, and how they might be malleable to change. The evidence suggests that, while most people see more societal benefits than personal benefits of eating cultured meat, there is a large potential market for cultured meat products in many countries around the world. Cultured meat is generally seen as more acceptable than other food technologies like GMOs, and more appealing than other alternative proteins like insects. Although it is not as broadly appealing as plant-based proteins, evidence suggests it may be more uniquely positioned to appeal to meat-lovers who are resistant to other alternative proteins, and it is more appealing to certain demographic groups. Many consumers have mixed feelings about meat from animals, and often recognize the benefits of cultured meat for animals and the environment. The potential safety improvements or nutritional enhancements are currently areas where there could be benefits, but where consumers tend to perceive risks currently due to the perception of unnaturalness and violation of norms. Cultured meat producers and advocates should aim to build trust, facilitate understanding of the technology, and explain how cultured meat could improve outcomes in these areas. Since neophobia and norm violation play an important role in cultured meat rejection, it is likely that this will decrease over time. Ultimately, the taste and price will be huge determinants of the market success of cultured meat. While some consumers may be willing to pay a premium for cultured meat, most are not, so displacing the serious demand for animal meat requires a price-competitive product. Consumers tend to have low expectations for the taste and texture of cultured meat, which may be a good thing for cultured meat producers. Unlike some other types of innovation, cultured meat is highly trialable [42], meaning that consumers can \"try before they buy\". Consumers are much more likely to buy cultured meat if they are able to verify the taste first. Attitudes towards cultured meat can be improved with information about its benefits, but the message's framing and the associations one provokes with one's language may be more important than the content of the message per se, at least in the short-term. Experts consider that the taste and texture are vitally important, as well as transparency around health and safety. They also project that cultured meat will be expensive at first, perhaps only available to elite consumers and possibly carrying health claims to justify the additional price. Public perceptions of cultured meat are varied and consider a range of benefits and risks. Opinions are malleable by information and framing, but ultimately product characteristics such as price and taste will play a key role in determining the market success of cultured meat. Advocates should be wary of the associations consumers may form if they perceive cultured meat as unnatural--they may then infer that it is unhealthy or damaging to the environment. Key issues like the health and safety of the meat supply can become talking points for the cultured meat industry, which currently suffers the intuition that its allegedly unnatural products could be unsafe, but in fact can improve the safety of the food supply. Highlighting ways that cultured meat can help avoid zoonotic disease outbreaks and reduce the use of antibiotics by removing unpredictable and dirty animals from the production process is likely to be an intuitively appealing message which turns a potential barrier into an argument in the technology's favor. More broadly, developers of alternative proteins should be aware that cultured meat represents a product which is appealing to a certain type of consumer.