A new set of consumer research performed by AquaBounty has indicated that the majority of consumers are willing to try genetically engineered salmon.
That data comes as the company prepares to launch its AquAdvantage salmon in the wake of regulatory approval in 2018 and the FDA lifting an import alert. Now that the path has been cleared for the product, AquaBounty has been researching what consumers resonate with when it comes to potentially purchasing a genetically engineered product, according to CEO Sylvia Wulf and Chief Commercial Officer David Melbourne.
“Up until this point in time, AquaBounty was a biotech firm,” Melbourne told SeafoodSource. The process of getting regulatory approval in the U.S. and developing the product has taken over two decades, with commercial production of the fish a relatively recent development in the life of the company. “Now that we are moving into launch mode, it’s ‘okay, how do we start to reframe this conversation.’”
According to Melbourne, the company surveyed a large swath of the U.S. to obtain statistically significant information on what consumers thoughts on genetically modified foods (GMOs) are, both across demographics and regions.
“Number one, we validated the notion that the majority of consumers, they don’t understand what GMOs are,” Melbourne said. “From what they’ve heard, they think that maybe they’re not supposed to like it, but they really don’t know what it is.”
An example that demonstrated this, Melbourne said, was respondents indicating that they suspected foods were genetically modified, even if it wasn’t possible. They also would miss foods that are modified, and that they might already be eating.
“There’s a lot of confusion about GMOs, and there’s a very small percentage of consumers for who this is important,” Melbourne said.
The majority of consumers, the data found, are open to trying GMOs and GE salmon, but don’t have any clue as to why some foods have been genetically modified. When the story of AquaBounty’s salmon was explained – from how it was modified 30 years ago to the sustainability and environmental benefits – most consumers are willing.
“What came out of that was a very positive purchase intent, that they would try this fish,” Melbourne said.
A key part of what was found during the research, he added, was the messaging that resonates with consumers.
“All they want to know is, is the product safe,” Wulf said. She added that the average consumer, say a parent purchasing something for their family, will shy away from a food if they don’t know the full details and will stick with the familiar menu items.
“We have to acknowledge that they feel it is a risk,” Wulf said. “The good news is, consumers are more engaged and understanding of what they’re eating than ever before.”
Once past that initial fear of the unknown, the market factors are the same for AquaBounty’s salmon as they are for any other: Quality, cost, taste, and appearance. Once the story of why the salmon was engineered is conveyed, consumers will be receptive to the products.
“It’s how do we tell the story,” Melbourne said. “This is a story, and it’s a very important story, and it’s finding that avenue that is compelling, transparent, and easy to understand and easy to follow.”
