Over half reckon food will be lab-grown in the future, while more than one in 10 even think ingredients will be made from agricultural waste, like crop by-products
Over half of Brits (55%) predict our future food will be grown in a lab, a study has found – while other guesses include meals being 3D printed, or coming in powder form.
A survey of 2,000 adults found that four in 10 believe designer foods are on the menu in the years to come, designed to suit individual health requirements.
And others estimate we will be tucking into dishes made from algae – while 15% even say that our ingredients will come from agricultural waste, such as plant stems or leaves.
However our meals are made, 56% agree that they will become much more sustainable over the next century. In fact, a third of those already following a plant-based or vegetarian diet, claim they are doing so for environmental reasons (34%).
And 16% would be willing to swap their current diet for an under-the-sea style feast consisting of algae, while 17% would be willing to eat their future meals in powder form. It also emerged Brits expect these types of diets to be adopted within the next 12-and-a-half years.
But what some might consider to be “future foods”, others are already eating – with one in 20 using algae in cooking, and 8% already eating foods in powder form, according to the research commissioned by California Almonds.
Danielle Veenstra, a spokeswoman from the brand, said: “It’s promising to see that people are looking to food to help bring more sustainability into their lives. Some of these future foods may actually be coming sooner than we think.
“For example, new innovations in the food space are using what are traditionally seen as agricultural by-products, such as crop by-products, as food ingredients in their own right – almonds hulls being a prime example.”
The research also found that, despite innovations being made in this space, 57% admitted they know nothing at all about foods made from agricultural waste.
However, 76% are already utilising food waste in meals at home – such as turning stale bread into croutons, or using vegetable trimmings to make broth, according to the research, carried out via OnePoll.
Plant-based chefs Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, aka BOSH!, said: “We are hugely excited to see all the incredible innovations being incorporated into our diets and onto our plates in the future, especially those which support sustainable and plant-based diets.
“We are huge advocates for supporting our planet and our people, and would love to see a world with zero-waste, repurposed products and future foods. It’s the way forward.
“One future food innovation that we’ve tried recently is actually made from an ingredient many of us will find in our kitchen cupboards – almonds.
“The almond hulls, which grow around the nut’s shell, are being used in promising food developments – such as tea and coffee alternatives, nutritional bars, and even beer.
“We love this, because not only is it a new way to use almond co-products, but upcycled ingredients means we can do more with less.”
Danielle Veenstra, also a third-generation almond farmer, added: “California almond farmers are working to grow almonds in increasingly sustainable ways – one of which is using a zero-waste approach. Everything grown in our orchards is put to good use.”
