GMO vegan mozzarella is the latest frontier in laboratory foods. Early consumer surveys are illustrated in the study by two biotech industry researchers in the field, just published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. (1)
GMO vegan mozzarella, who wants it?
The research under review aspires to assess the propensity to purchase GMO vegan mozzarella cheese. Surveys were conducted among more than 5 thousand consumers in five countries on three continents. Germany and the UK, the US and Brazil, and India. With the caveat, in the last two countries, of only polling affluent young people, the informedelite who could afford to buy biotech foods. With the artifice, for Indians only, of referring to paneer (the typical local cheese without rennet) instead of mozzarella.
The commercial presentation of GMO vegan mozzarella revolves around the big cloud of sustainability. In this case as in others (Lab Meat), the replacement of animal foods with laboratory cell-based preparations is presented as a means of reducing the impact of food production on the environment (2,3).
Biotech foods and GMOs
The two authors of the study under review are organic to the biotech food industry (Formo and Cellular Agriculture Society) in whose favor the reconnaissance of consumer desires is evidently dedicated.
Like the fake lab meat we reported on, GMO vegan mozzarella cheese is obtained through genetic engineering techniques.
Cisgenesis and precision fermentation
‘Precision fermentation is the process of inserting specific genes into the DNA backbone of single-celled organisms. (…) Precision fermentation is an established technology, exploited to synthesize compounds that would otherwise be expensive and complicated to acquire.’ (1)
As a result of genetic modification of the cells, proteins are synthesized in a process similar to that used to produce beer, the authors report. Moreover, without veg consumers receiving any information about the GMO nature of the ‘new food’.
Hidden GMOs
European consumers-as recent EFSA surveys show-are afraid of the presence of genetically modified organisms in their food. (4) And it is also what explains the boom in sales of organic foods, (5) where GMOs are strictly excluded.
The European Commission, however, in interpreting reg. EC 1829-1830/2003, had the scruples to assure Big Food of omertà on the use of GMO microorganisms on food labels. (6) Consequently, GMO vegan mozzarella cheese-like biotech ‘meat,’ ‘fish,’ and ‘eggs’-will also not be designated as such.
GMO vegan mozzarella cheese, propensities to taste and purchase
In Brazil and India (the world’s leading milk producer), among affluent young people, researchers recorded the highest willingness (92 and 93.4 percent, respectively) to try plant-based cheese (mozzarella or paneer). This is followed by consumers from Germany (75.9 percent), the United Kingdom (67.6 percent) and the United States (64.9 percent).
The propensity to buy-at least for once-follows the same ranking. Brazilian and Indian consumers (91.1 and 85.5 percent) leading the way, then Germans (62.7 percent), U.S. (53.8 percent) and British (58.5 percent). In contrast, the idea of buying this type of food on a regular basis marks a marked difference between the countries where a youth target with good spending capacity was selected (India 73.9%, Brazil 68%) and the others (USA 36.3%, Germany 36.1%, UK 34.6%).
Notes
(1) Zollman Thomas Oscar, Bryant Christopher. Don’t Have a Cow, Man: Consumer Acceptance of Animal-Free Dairy Products in Five Countries. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems Vol. 5 2021 https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.678491
(2) Dario Dongo. Climate and antibiotic resistance. Will lab meat save us? GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 9.1.20, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/clima-e-antibiotico-resistenza-la-carne-di-laboratorio-ci-salverà
(3) Dario Dongo. ‘Vegan meat’, meat sounding. Big show at the European Parliament. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 10/23/20, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/carne-vegana-meat-sounding-grande-spettacolo-al-parlamento-europeo
(4) Marta Strinati. Fears on the plate, Eurobarometer survey. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 6/14/19, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/consum-attori/i-timori-nel-piatto-indagine-di-eurobarometro
(5) Marta Strinati. Organic in 2020, a refuge commodity during the pandemic. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 5/26/21, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/il-bio-nel-2020-un-bene-rifugio-durante-la-pandemia
(6) For further study, please refer to our ebook ‘GMOs, the Big Scam,’ at https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/libri/ogm-la-grande-truffa
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
