A fresh report has concluded that the newest generation of food consumers with purchasing power is more open to food technology than older generations.

According to the Food Tech Consumer Perception study from New York communications consultancy Ketchum, respondents from Gen Z – a term denoting people born since the mid-1990s – indicated they are more likely to try a food grown with technology (77%) and are more comfortable overall with the use of technology to grow food (71%) than millennials (67% likely to try/56% comfortable), Gen X (58%/51%) and baby boomers (58%/58%).

The research also showed that higher percentages of Gen Z and millennials qualified as what Ketchum describes as ‘Food eVangelists’, a type of influencer. While 27% of Gen Z and 29% of millennials fit the profile of this group who want to impact the way food is raised, packaged and sold, just 8% of baby boomers and 15% of Gen X did so.

Kim Essex, partner and managing director of food agriculture and ingredients for Ketchum, said: “Food eVangelists are open to learning about food technology and will share more with their networks, but they are also quick to dismiss a poor explanation. Food eVangelists in their 20s are especially powerful, not only for purchases they influence today but also for the future generations they’ll impact.

“This group’s openness to food technology points to a major opportunity for food marketers to rethink their messages.”

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