Innovating Food, Shaping Trust: Insights from a Consumer Survey on EU Novel Foods and Cell-Based Meat Regulation

In recent decades, technical and scientific progress have paved the way to the emergence of Novel Foods. In the EU, these are regulated by Reg. (EU) 2015/2283, aimed at ensuring consumer protection and, simultaneously, fostering innovation that could contribute to food security and sustainability. This legislative framework is at the centre of an ongoing and lively political and regulatory debate, fuelled by certain specific categories of new foods such as insect-based products and cell-based meat. Based on these considerations, a survey was conducted exploring consumer awareness, understanding, and preferences about the current regulatory framework. This chapter analyses the survey data, focusing on the role of institutions as well as on the relevance of scientific evaluations vis-à-vis political considerations. Finally, this analysis offers suggestions for future regulatory developments and stakeholder engagement to support food security through innovation.