Brits believe they’ll be eating 3D-printed foods, meals in powder-form and dishes made from ALGAE in future
BRITS think they’ll be dining on 3D-printed foods, meals in powder form and dishes made from algae in the near future, according to research.
A poll of 2,000 adults found 55 per cent believe the food we eat will be grown in a lab, and 40 per cent think we’ll get used to eating designer foods tailored to individual health needs.
While 16 per cent would be happy to swap their current diet for an under the sea-style feast consisting of algae.
And 17 per cent would be willing to eat their future meals in powder form.
It also emerged Brits expect these types of diets to adopted within 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 eight per cent eating foods in powder form, according to the stats commissioned by California Almonds.
Danielle Veenstra, a spokesperson 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 using what are traditionally seen as agricultural byproducts, such as crop byproducts, as food ingredients in their own right – almonds hulls being a prime example.”
The research also found 56 per cent of adults believe meals will be far more sustainable within the next century.
But many are already taking steps to eat more sustainability with 34 per cent of those who follow a vegetarian or plant-based diet doing so for environmental reasons.
The stats also revealed only 15 per cent think we’ll be eating foods made from agricultural waste, which could be crop byproducts like plant stems or leaves, in the future, despite innovations being made in this space.
Although 57 per cent admitted they know nothing at all about foods made from agricultural waste.
Despite this lack of awareness around the future of low-waste foods, 76 per cent 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 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, 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.”