Futuristic foods are becoming increasingly popular with everything from crickets to algae. And with mealworms recently becoming the first insect-based food to be approved by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), alternative snacks are on the rise. A recent YouGov survey by digital magazine and newspaper subscription app Readly demonstrates how adventurous we are when it comes to our food and how far we’d go for something different in the picnic hamper this spring!
Almost nine in ten (83%) of those surveyed by Readly digital magazine and newspaper app said they were open to new food experiences. Edible water bottles, lab grown meat or fish and algae topped the list of the most likely to be eaten by those looking for something alternative or environmentally conscious.
The top list of what Brits are willing to consider eating and drinking include:
1. Edible water bottles (27 %)
2. Lab-grown meat and fish (24 %)
3. Algae (20 %)
4. Insects (17 %)
5. DNA-based diet (16 %)
6. 3D-printed food (14 %)
The research also showed that sustainability continues to be an important theme with almost half of us choosing foods that are locally produced and one in ten rating eco labelling as key to their food decisions. Taste (78%), dietary requirements (15%) and low meat consumption (13%) continue to rate highly.
– We have noted that our readers mainly save and share classic recipes of chocolate cakes and traditional stews, so insect related recipes have not made the top searches just yet. We are following the trend and will see if there is a shift in habits this year as regulation changes and we see more people making sustainable choices, says Ranj Begley, UK Managing Director and Chief Content Officer at Readly.
The low-carbon emissions of insect-based foods has made them a hot topic which could soon become a major ingredient in smoothies, snacks and other foods.
Readly, the all-you-can-read subscription that offers over 5000 magazines and newspapers, saw a 31% increased interest in the food and drink magazines on its platform in the last year. Aside from the thousands of every day recipes on Readly, a number of insect-related recipes have shown up on the platform, including recipes for the popular banana bread and chocolate muffins, including cricket powder.
