Precision fermentation study highlights bakery potential as brands tackle consumer skepticism

Precision-fermented ingredients may find a more receptive audience in familiar foods such as packaged cakes than in products promising to replicate meat, according to new EIT Food Consumer Observatory research. 

The qualitative study, involving 45 participants, suggests food manufacturers can build on curiosity about the technology, provided they explain the process clearly and give consumers a tangible reason to choose the finished product.

Published this week, “From Curiosity to Confidence: Developing effective messaging for products made with precision fermentation” examines perceptions of the technology and reactions to product concepts. Its findings offer guidance on communication and positioning, rather than a measure of market-wide demand.

“Curiosity gives precision fermentation an opening, but consumers still have very basic questions about what the technology is and what it means for the food they eat,” says Klaus G. Grunert, professor of marketing at Aarhus University, Denmark, and lead of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory.

“If those questions are left unanswered, novelty can quickly turn into suspicion. And once consumers decide to try a product, the product needs to deliver on their expectations.” 

Functional roles shape acceptance

Participants were more comfortable with precision-fermented egg protein serving a binding function in cake, where they expected little impact on taste. Precision-fermented fat playing a central role in a burger’s flavor and texture faced greater skepticism about matching familiar sensory qualities. 

Researchers tested messaging around traditional fermentation, taste, and affordability across burger, cream cheese, and packaged cake concepts. The study assessed descriptions, rather than actual tasting or observed purchases. 

The application focus comes as suppliers expand fermentation-derived ingredients for food manufacturing. In July, we reported on ADM’s partnership with The Every Company to scale OvoPro egg white protein. Every positions the ingredient for binding, foaming, gelling, and whipping, alongside protein fortification.

Give consumers a reason to choose 

The EIT Food research recommends emphasizing the benefits consumers can experience, including flavor, texture, and nutritional value. Sustainability and animal welfare remained relevant to participants, but the researchers describe them as supporting arguments rather than the main reasons to purchase. 

The report also cautions against presenting products primarily as replacements for familiar favorites. That positioning can encourage comparisons with established foods and create expectations that an unfamiliar alternative may struggle to meet.Study participants were more receptive to precision-fermented egg protein binding a cake than to fermented fat shaping a burger’s flavor and texture.

Instead, manufacturers are encouraged to develop products with an appealing benefit of their own and use curiosity to encourage trial. The first experience then needs to meet those expectations if interest is to develop into acceptance. 

The emphasis on finished-product performance reflects a broader shift in formulation. Our recent coverage of protein diversification explored how suppliers are balancing nutrition, functionality, taste, and cost across dairy, plant-based, and fermentation-derived ingredients. 

Familiarity needs explanation 

Precision fermentation uses microorganisms, such as yeast or fungi, to produce specific substances, including proteins and fats, for use as food ingredients. 

Participants raised questions about how those microorganisms are used, whether the resulting ingredients should be regarded as “real” foods or alternatives, and the technology’s safety. Some also questioned its implications for farming and food-production jobs. 

Connecting the process with familiar fermented foods, such as bread, yogurt, and cheese, helped make it feel less experimental to some participants. However, the report recommends pairing that comparison with an explanation of how precision fermentation works. Traditional fermentation messaging resonated most strongly for burgers and least strongly for packaged cake. 

The report notes that the initial definition deliberately avoided GMO connotations. Participants nevertheless questioned how microorganisms were “given instructions” to produce ingredients. 

The researchers warn that vague explanations can create suspicion that information is being withheld. Their recommendation is to make the science accessible while retaining enough detail to answer consumers’ questions. 

Building on consumer trust 

The findings follow EIT Food research published in August, which linked trust in the food system with openness to innovation. That separate survey found 38% of consumers with high food-system trust were open to innovation, compared with 6% among those with low trust. 

The latest study was conducted through the Consumer Observatory’s Citizen Participation Forum. Participants initially explored their perceptions of precision fermentation before splitting into three groups of 15 to assess concepts and communication narratives. 

Published ahead of World Food Day on October 16, the report recommends that manufacturers combine clear explanations with relevant product benefits and a first experience that delivers on its promise.