Overcoming barriers and enhancing consumer engagement with novel food technologies

Novel food technologies, particularly alternative proteins such as plant-based foods, edible insects, and cultured meat, are gaining recognition for their health, nutritional, and environmental benefits. However, consumer acceptance in Western markets remains limited due to taste preferences, safety concerns, socio-cultural biases, and a lack of information. Although research has highlighted the benefits of alternative proteins, there is still a gap in understanding the factors that influence consumer acceptance, as well as how these factors compare in terms of their relative importance[1,2,3]. Insights from such research can help develop strategies to foster engagement with emerging food technologies; however, research on using digital communication tools to convey specialised scientific content is limited.