When considering the optimal name for cultivated meat in the U.S., it’s crucial to align with food labeling regulations. Cultivated food labels must not only appeal to consumers but also meet other standards — for example, they must communicate how the products are both different from and similar to conventionally-produced animal products (e.g., how they’re made and major allergens). Labels like “clean meat,” which tend to be very favorable from a consumer perspective, might not comply with these regulations.

In a 2020 experiment testing different labels for “clean” seafood products, researchers found that only “cell-based” and “cell-cultured” effectively distinguished these products from wild-caught or farm-raised ones. In this follow-up study, a representative sample of U.S. participants viewed packages of Atlantic Salmon labeled either as “cell-based” or “cell-cultured” and responded to various criteria, including whether they are different from conventional products, whether they contain allergens, and whether they’re appropriate to use as a descriptor for clean meat.

Overall, participants were able to differentiate both “cell-based” and “cell-cultured” as different from wild-caught or farm-raised products, with slightly more people differentiating cell-based (60%) than cell-cultured (59%). Additionally, 41% of consumers who viewed a cell-based Atlantic Salmon package and 44% who viewed cell-cultured Atlantic Salmon felt these products were best described as being made from the cells of salmon. 

The majority of consumers understood that people with fish allergies should not eat cell-based or cell-cultured salmon products, and overall 54% of participants said that pregnant women should avoid cell-based or cell-cultured Atlantic Salmon. 

Participants generally viewed cell-based Atlantic Salmon slightly more favorably than cell-cultured salmon, and more consumers were willing to try it. Similarly, while both cell-based and cell-cultured products were generally viewed as “moderately” safe and nutritious and “slightly” good in terms of taste, cell-based products received a higher safety and taste rating compared to cell-cultured products.

In terms of naturalness, both cell-based and cell-cultured Atlantic Salmon were seen as neither natural nor unnatural, although cell-based products were rated as slightly more natural. Finally, consumers felt that cell-cultured salmon was slightly more likely than cell-based salmon to be genetically modified.

At the end, participants read an explanation about either cell-based or cell-cultured production, depending on which term they saw throughout the study. 68% of participants indicated that they were entirely unfamiliar with “cell-based” or “cell-cultured” seafood production, and both terms were perceived as slightly appropriate for describing the method of producing only the consumable parts of salmon.

In conclusion, the researchers found that both terms were adequate in all regulatory criteria, but that “cell-based” was perceived more positively by consumers both before and after learning more about the terms. 

This paper underscores a crucial aspect of food labeling: regulatory controls. Alternative protein professionals should recognize this, as finding labels that appeal to consumers while complying with regulations may become a challenge in the future. Given that common terms like “clean meat” may not currently align with regulations, “cell-based” may be a promising alternative. Advocates can contribute by enhancing the public’s awareness and comprehension of cell-based products to reduce potential regulatory barriers as they eventually hit the market.