Consumer perceptions and novel food acceptance

Consumer beliefs about the risks and benefits of novel foods will determine whether they are accepted by the consumer. Factors such as ethical concerns, worries about the potential environmental impact of novel crops, and trust in risk regulators and science will also be of importance in consumer decision making. Potentially useful and benevolent technologies may fail when products are introduced to consumers if these issues are not adequately understood. Effective labelling, the development of effective risk-benefit communication strategies, and increased transparency in the regulatory process will all improve consumer confidence in novel foods. However, sensory properties are also important in determining food choices, and it is important to simultaneously consider more 'traditional' elements of novel product evaluation during product development.