A fifth of German consumers can imagine eating 3d printed cultivated meat and a quarter see it as a contribution to sustainable food production. These are the results of a representative survey commissioned by the digital association Bitkom among 1,002 people in Germany aged 16 and over.
More and more people are becoming more aware of their meat consumption. Whether it’s seitan, tofu, or peas – the selection of meatless alternatives for the pan and grill is growing. But innovative technologies are also gaining in importance.
It is currently conceivable for around one in five (20%) to eat meat from the 3D printer, according to this survey, whereas four years ago it was 13%. 16% said they would rather not have this kind of food on their plates, and for 57%, eating such meat from the 3D printer is absolutely out of the question. The results closely follow another survey, carried out by Ipsos, which found that a third of Germans (32%) would be willing to include cultivated meat in their diet.
“In particular, the use of food printers makes it possible to give products made in the lab a look and texture similar to conventional meat, while having a significantly smaller environmental footprint. Because cultivated meat minimizes the need for farmland and water, reduces the emission of greenhouse gases, and thus reduces the overall burden on the environment,” says Jana Moritz, Digital Farming and Food Tech consultant at Bitkom.
“From the use of innovative technology in established cultivation methods to food tech startups: digital technologies are a crucial building block in making agriculture more ecological, resilient and animal-friendly, and thus open up new avenues for a more sustainable food supply overall.”
Every fourth person is already convinced of this: 24% of those surveyed agree that cultivated meat can contribute to more sustainable food production. But only 12% would be willing to pay more for it. In general, 11% see food from the 3D printer as a purely luxury product. 13% believe that a food printer will be an integral part of kitchen equipment in the future alongside mixers, spatulas, and scales.
Further information on the Bitkom study at www.bitkom-research.de.
