In Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal, almost half of consumers (44%) say they have already reduced their meat consumption, while 12% intend to do so. But many still feel stuck: alternatives are often too expensive, hard to find, or fail to deliver on taste and nutrition. Driven by its mission to Empower People, Euroconsumers is eager to explore how to increase the array of good affordable sustainable alternatives. Enter cultivated meat: an interesting new category of novel proteins that could complement consumers’ choice is made from real animal cells grown in controlled environments without slaughter. It promises to drastically lower environmental impact, less antibiotics, and the potential to match traditional meat in both flavor and nutrition.
A consumer checklist on novel food
The environmental, societal, economic and geopolitical advantages of cultivated meat and other novel foods may be interesting, but for cultivated meat to take off, consumers’ voices must first be heard.
So, what needs to be done for consumers to consider cultivated meat on their plate? A recent Euroconsumers study sheds some light on this question:
Interestingly, even among those with no intention to reduce meat intake, 43% say they’d still try cultivated meat, showing its unique potential to reach new audiences and help bridge the gap to more sustainable diets. But there’s a catch: only 13% of consumers feel informed about cultivated meat leading to hesitation and mistrust.
Equally interesting, the survey highlighted that consumers have nearly identical expectations for precision fermentation, another type of novel food, and cultivated meat, particularly around nutrition, price, and taste.
A competitive innovation for Europe to seize
Europe was an early pioneer in cultivated meat—with the first patent, the first burger, and some of the first tastings. Backed by world-class universities and biotech hubs, the continent set the pace. But now, it risks falling behind.
Public investment in novel proteins accounts for less than 1% of EU agri-innovation funding—far behind countries like Canada—leaving startups stuck in a “Valley of Death” and often turning to markets in the US or Asia, while larger corporations consolidate market control. Next to that also the EU’s slow and demanding approval process prolongs market entry and is more likely to favour well-resourced firms.
To avoid another innovation exodus, nearly half of respondents to the survey (46%) would like the EU to be more proactive in supporting the production and commercialization of sustainable meat alternatives and 63% believe that the production should be regulated by public authorities to ensure access for everybody and prevent monopolies.
Setting Europe’s table by empowering people and improving the market
Consumers are not just end-users but active participants in shaping this market. They need to be on board: trust it, support it, embrace it. And they made their conditions clear:
• Safe to Eat: cultivated meat must be EFSA-approved to guarantee safety. We also need post-market surveillance updates to reassure consumers about the long-term safety of cultivated meat.
• Affordable for All: it should be cheaper or at least be competitively priced compared to regular meat.
• Nutrition-packed: cultivated meat should offer high-quality protein and essential nutrients like B12 and iron. Products should come with clear information on the composition and labelling, enabling consumers to make an informed choice.
• Tastes Like the Real Deal: to ensure it has the same the same taste as traditional meat, perfecting fat and amino acid profiles is a must.
• A Sustainable Choice: the environmental benefit over traditional meat should be made clear for consumers through clear and attractive labelling.
• Clear and Honest Information: improve consumer awareness with impartial, science-based campaigns explaining the opportunities of novel foods and the comparative advantage towards traditional meat.
Empowered consumers are nowhere without a vibrant and fair market offering affordable sustainable food alternatives. Europe can take the lead on the innovation alternative proteins offer and turn it into a competitive advantage, provided that:
• Include cultivated meat and other novel proteins in the Biotech Act: Europe needs to make a strong declaration of intent to lead in biotechnology and biofood manufacturing, making it a leader in this industry.
• Access to public and private funding: establish dedicated investment funds and grants to help alternative protein start-ups scale production and compete globally. A clear public commitment will also unlock the private investments that are currently lacking in Europe.
• Open-source public R&D: where public money is used there should be conditions to open-source resulting innovations. This would allow more players to enter the market and pass cost savings down the production chain to consumers.
• Secure fair competition: re-evaluate the financial and regulatory advantages that conventional meat enjoys within the Common Agricultural Policy to create a level playing field and enforce antitrust laws to prevent monopolization of these new technologies.
• A smoother approval process: review EFSA’s approval process with the objective of making it faster and easier while ensuring robust safety checks. Consider adding staff, funding and ring-fencing budget for innovations that can help consumers diversify their protein intake.
• A strong consumer voice: invite consumers to the table, it’s not a hurdle but an industrial asset: to shape good EU policy, improve the market of sustainable proteins, and ensure success.
Cultivated meat should at least be an option to consider. This is a decisive moment for Europe: will it lead or follow in shaping the future of novel foods?
By empowering consumers, supporting innovation, and ensuring a fair, competitive market, Europe can build a thriving alternative protein sector that benefits the environment, public health, and the economy.
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