A new EIT Food report examines how consumer trust, health, safety and perceptions of naturalness could shape the future of biotechnology foods. The science behind novel proteins is advancing quickly. But according to new research from EIT Food, the biggest challenge facing biotechnology foods may not be developing the technology itself. It may be convincing consumers that the food produced with it is safe, healthy and worth putting on the dinner table. The EIT Food Consumer Observatory’s report, Turning novel proteins into trusted foods: Consumer perceptions of high-tech proteins, examines how European consumers understand food processing and how they respond to three different biotechnology-enabled protein concepts: mycoprotein produced through biomass fermentation, precision fermentation, and cultivated meat. The research involved 215 consumers using EIT Food Consumer Observatory’s citizen participation forum, an online research community involving more than 300 consumers from 17 European countries. Its findings point to a complicated picture. Consumers are not simply divided between people who embrace food biotechnology and those who reject it. Instead, their attitudes depend heavily on how a product is …