72% of Young Australians Won't Eat Lab-Grown Meat
A survey from the University of Sydney and Curtin University has found that 72% of young Australians are not ready to eat cultured meat — meat grown from animal cells in a lab.
The survey included 227 people born between 1995 and 2001 who live in Sydney, Australia. Their average age was 21.
Of the young people in the survey, 72% said cultured meat was not acceptable to them as food, with many calling it "disgusting." Only 19% accepted cultured meat as a food option, and 9% weren't sure.
Proponents of cultured meat argue that it's safer than regular meat, since it's produced in a clean laboratory environment. A February review in Frontiers in Nutrition suggested that, while no lab can guarantee that it will never make a mistake, cultured meat should be safe from bacteria in an animal's digestive system, which cause millions of human illnesses each year.
However, 32% of young Australians said they didn't think cultured meat was a healthy option, with some saying it had too many chemicals.
When asked about other meat alternatives like insects and plant-based meat, 17% rejected all substitutes, and 11% said they'd prefer to eat a traditional vegetarian diet without any new alternative meats. Nine percent accepted eating insects but not cultured meat, while 35% rejected cultured meat and insects but accepted plant-based meat, saying it sounded more natural.
The survey found that 59% of young Australians were concerned about the environmental impact of traditional livestock farming. However, lead researcher Dr. Diana Bogueva said, "Most are not ready to accept cultured meat and view it with disgust." Several also weren't sure whether cultured meat was better for the environment.
A 2018 survey in the US and UK found that people aged 25 to 34 were the most willing to buy cultured meat, with more than half saying they would buy it if it was available in shops and restaurants. About 35% of those 18 to 24 said they would buy cultured meat, while only 10% of those 65 and older said they would.
