# Consumer Acceptance of Cultured Meat: An Updated Review (2018-2020)
###### Abstract  
Cultured meat is one of a number of alternative proteins which can help to reduce the demand for meat from animals in the future. As cultured meat nears commercialization, research on consumers' perceptions of the technology has proliferated. We build on our 2018 systematic review to identify 26 empirical studies on consumer acceptance of cultured meat published in peer-reviewed journals since then. We find support for many of the findings of our previous review, as well as novel insights into the market for cultured meat. We find evidence of a substantial market for cultured meat in many countries, as well as markets and demographics which are particularly open to the concept. Consumers mostly identified animal- and environment-related benefits, but there is plenty of potential to highlight personal benefits such as health and food safety. The safety of cultured meat and its nutritional qualities are intuitively seen as risks by some consumers, although some recognize potential benefits in these areas. Evidence suggests that acceptance can be increased with positive information, as well as frames which invoke more positive associations. We conclude by arguing that cultured meat will form one part of a varied landscape of future protein sources, each appealing to different groups of consumers to achieve an overall reduction in conventional meat consumption. We acknowledge a range of pro-cultured meat messaging strategies, and suggest that framing cultured meat as a solution to existing food safety problems may be an effective approach to increase acceptance. In the long-term, objections based in neophobia and norm violation will decrease, and widespread acceptance will depend in large part on the price and taste. cultured meat; consumer acceptance; consumer psychology; food technology; meat replacement; alternative proteins +
Footnote †: journal: Medical  
animal-free growth media. Several companies around the world are currently finessing the technology required to use this process to create real edible meat without animal slaughter [6]. Although it is not yet available to consumers, cultured meat has some distinct advantages over other forms of alternative protein. Unlike plant-based meats which emulate meat using plant proteins, cultured meat is real animal protein and therefore has unique potential to replace animal products directly, addressing concerns that some consumers may have about the ingredients and relative nutrition of plant-based meats. Unlike insects which are also touted as an alternative protein, cultured meat allows consumers to continue eating traditional and familiar meat species and avoid killing animals for food. Recent years have seen significant shifts in institutions as they prepare for the arrival of cultured meat and related \"cellular agriculture\" products. While investors and established meat industry players have moved capital to back the new technology, regulators and lobbyists have begun to discuss its regulation [9; 10]. The most optimistic cultured meat companies currently estimate that they will be selling products before the end of 2021 [11]. As cultured meat gets closer to reality, research on consumer acceptance has proliferated. Since our 2018 systematic review of the peer-reviewed empirical research on consumer acceptance of cultured meat [12], investigation in the area has flourished. Our initial systematic review contained 14 studies spanning 2014-2018; since its publication, the number of peer-reviewed empirical studies on the topic has more than doubled, while studies in the grey literature continue to blossom. Their findings support existing literature and also shed light on previously unexplored aspects of consumer psychology with respect to cultured meat. Our previous review discussed the research in terms of the overall acceptance, common objections, doubts and uncertainty, and positive perceptions [12].