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Consumers are curious about precision fermentation but need clearer information about the technology and its benefits before they can develop confidence in products made using it, according to new research from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory.

The qualitative study, From Curiosity to Confidence: Developing effective messaging for products made with precision fermentation, examines how consumers perceive the emerging food-production technology and how different communication approaches influence their response to products containing precision-fermented ingredients.

The research found that consumers are often willing to try a precision-fermented product before forming an opinion, creating an opportunity for food manufacturers and brands to turn initial curiosity into acceptance.

However, the report warned that this curiosity also places pressure on the first consumer experience, with products needing to meet expectations from the outset.

Precision fermentation uses microorganisms such as yeast or fungi to produce specific substances, including proteins and fats, which can subsequently be used as food ingredients.

The study, conducted with 45 participants, found that consumers generally viewed precision fermentation as new and innovative. While many participants were not yet convinced by the technology, they expressed enough curiosity to want to taste products made using it.

At the same time, participants raised questions about how microorganisms are used during production, whether the resulting ingredients should be considered “real” foods or alternatives, and the safety of the technology.

Some participants also questioned what precision fermentation could mean for farming and employment across the food production sector.

Klaus G. Grunert, professor of marketing at Aarhus University and lead of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, said that unanswered questions could cause consumers' initial curiosity to turn into suspicion.

The research also found that overly vague explanations of the technology could make precision fermentation appear almost “like magic”, potentially leading consumers to believe that information was being withheld.

As a result, the report recommends that companies make the science accessible while providing sufficient detail to demonstrate transparency.

One potential route to improving consumer understanding is to connect precision fermentation with traditional fermentation.

The research found that consumers were already familiar with fermented foods such as bread, yogurt and cheese, although some participants did not immediately identify these products as fermented.

Linking precision fermentation to this established food-production history helped make the technology feel less experimental to some participants.

However, the report cautioned that the comparison should be accompanied by a clear explanation of how precision fermentation works, rather than being used as the sole means of communicating the technology.

The research suggests that manufacturers should focus communications on tangible benefits for consumers, rather than relying primarily on explanations of the technology itself.

Taste, texture and nutritional value were identified as more compelling reasons to purchase than messages focused mainly on replacing existing ingredients for sustainability or ethical reasons.

While wider benefits such as animal welfare and sustainability remained important to participants, these tended to act as supporting rather than decisive factors in purchase decisions.

The report also advised companies against positioning precision-fermented products simply as replacements for familiar foods.

Direct comparisons could encourage consumers to assess a new product against an established favourite, creating a challenging benchmark for an unfamiliar innovation.

Instead, the research recommends developing products with their own clear consumer benefit and using the novelty of precision fermentation to build on consumers' existing curiosity.

The EIT Food Consumer Observatory recommends that manufacturers and brands make precision fermentation understandable without concealing its complexity, capitalise on consumers' willingness to try new products and communicate tangible benefits.

It also advises companies to avoid presenting products solely as substitutes for familiar favourites and ensure that products deliver on consumer expectations during their first trial.

The research forms part of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory's wider work examining perceptions of emerging food technologies and the factors that influence consumer acceptance.

The findings were published ahead of World Food Day on 16 October 2026, which this year focuses on the theme “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”

The study was carried out through the EIT Food Consumer Observatory's Citizen Participation Forum. Participants first explored their perceptions of precision fermentation before being divided into three groups to assess product concepts and communication narratives.