Researchers from the University of Bayreuth and the University of Vienna compiled a systematic overview of almost 200 articles and analyzed them from a food law and nutritional psychology perspective. They investigated the extent to which half-knowledge, prejudices, emotions, and cultural norms influence the perception of novel food. "We wanted to see how heuristics - that means mental shortcuts to make decisions under uncertainty - and other psychological aspects, influence how consumers view novel foods," says Alessandro Monaco, junior researcher at the Chair of Food Law at the University of Bayreuth. "To do this, we took an interdisciplinary approach, adopting a legal perspective to define the scope of the research, and analysing how consumers’ psychological reactions are mirrored in the legal framework applicable to novel foods- Ultimately, our results have implications for policy-making."
The articles analyzed focused primarily on insects and cultivated meat. Monaco explains,: "Disgust and fear cause consumers to reject novel foods such as insects, even if these foods have desirable characteristics, such as being more sustainable or nutritionally beneficial. Similarly, consumers tend to prefer products that come from smaller, local companies rather than the multinationals that are currently driving the novel food market because they are perceived as untrustworthy." In addition, consumers prefer food that is perceived as natural and not altered by artificial or human intervention. "Interestingly, the recent political debate in the EU shows that the negative perception of novel foods remains strong even when the products are approved and proven safe. This is probably due to the complexity of the approval process, which is not sufficiently understood by the majority of the population," says Monaco.
Results also show that when positive emotions such as curiosity are triggered and familiarity with the novel foods increases, consumers´ acceptance grows. "Even if regulatory authorities cannot influence emotions and social norms directly through legislation, they can exert an indirect influence by creating the necessary conditions that contribute to the formation of such norms," the researchers conclude.
