BERLIN And SINGAPORE, September 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Formo, Europe leading company in precision fermentation, has joined forces with Singapore Management University (EMS) to examine consumer demand for a new class of products: precision-fermented egg-based consumer products.
The study ‘Don’t get laid: Consumer acceptance of precision fermentation eggs published in Frontiers, a peer-reviewed journal and open science platform, was carried out by a researcher from Formo Bio GmbH Oscar Zollman ThomasAnd EMS Professor of communication management Marc Chongpsychology professor Angela Leungsearcher Tricia Marjorie Fernández and doctoral student in psychology Shu Tian Ng.
They surveyed 3,006 people on three continents in Germany, UNITED STATES And Singapore to assess consumer demand, demographic predictors and motivators behind the adoption of an egg product made without chickens, instead using proteins produced by bio-engineered microbes.
The launch of a precision-fermented egg product marks an expanded application of the company’s protein production platform, demonstrating the company’s ambition and ability to tackle ethical bottlenecks beyond Dairy products. An estimated 60% of the world’s chickens reside on factory farms, hence the impetus Europe & Singapore, September 19, 2023 (Tuesday) – creating acceptable substitutes is essential, with growing demand from consumers and industrial food manufacturers for ethical and functional alternatives.
Formo’s research findings suggest that lab-brewed egg products will likely find an enthusiastic market, with a substantial percentage (51% to 61%) of participants expressing a willingness to try the products. Interestingly, those who consume organic eggs and plant-based eggs were most willing to embrace this new class of products.
While using cutting-edge technology to tailor microbial programs, Formo’s brewing of proteins with EU consumer precedent means these products will be able to make their imminent debut on the markets, with ingredients considered non-new in view of EU regulations. European consumers will be able to purchase precision-fermented brewed eggs starting this year.
The reasons for adopting such products varied across the three countries. In Germany, participants cited animal welfare as a major factor influencing their interest. In Singapore and the UNITED STATESthe main determining factors were health-related aspects as well as curiosity.
“This research demonstrates an appetite for products made through precision fermentation, such as lab-brewed eggs, and that consumers are willing to recognize the flaws in industrial egg production and embrace alternatives,” said Oscar Zollman Thomaslead author of the study.
“Cellular agriculture has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce and consume proteins, addressing the environmental and ethical concerns associated with traditional animal agriculture,” said Professor Marc Chong, EMS principal investigator of the project. “The appeal seen across all continents demonstrates the capacity of cellular agriculture to create not localized, but global food system change,” he added.
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About Formo – www.formo.bio
About Singapore Management University – www.smu.edu.sg
What are lab-brewed eggs?
Lab-brewed eggs are egg products with the same flavor and functionality as conventional eggs, but created without chickens. The product comes in the form of beaten eggs, with the crucial protein components produced by microbes, through precision fermentation, in large brewery-style facilities. Precision fermentation is the process of harnessing microbial hosts to produce specific ingredients such as fats or proteins. This is done by reprogramming the DNA of microorganisms and then fermenting them in large brewery-style facilities. Precision fermentation allows the production of products functionally identical to those produced by animals, or completely new proteins.
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SOURCE Singapore Management University
