Consumers’ acceptance and perceptions of precision-fermentation dairy

Abstract Precision fermentation is discussed as a future pathway for dairy alternatives. Although research on the topic increasingly addresses technological issues, consumer behaviour toward this innovation has received less attention. To inform whether precision-fermentation products could succeed in the market, we examined whether consumers choose precision-fermentation dairy products when their conventional counterparts are also available. We also assessed the role of expected quality and the potential influence of neophobic traits on perceptions and choices. In a contextualised choice environment task administered in Germany and Italy, participants selected one option per product category (cheese, yoghurt, milk, ice cream). We captured expected sensory quality for cheese and yoghurt and measured food neophobia and food-technology neophobia. Results indicated that conventional products were generally favoured over precision-fermentation options. Category- and country-specific patterns emerged: Italian respondents showed greater openness to precision fermentation in yoghurt and ice cream. Cheese remained largely preferred in its conventional format across both countries. Mediation analyses suggested that expected sensory quality accounts for a substantial share of the disadvantage of precision fermentation relative to conventional products, despite consumers perceiving the alternative as more sustainable. Moderation tests revealed that food-technology neophobia, rather than food neophobia, dampened both sensory expectations and choices for precision fermentation. The findings suggest that consumer scepticism toward precision-fermentation dairy reflects conditional quality expectations rather than blanket rejection; if products credibly deliver on sensory performance and consumers become more familiar with the technology, acceptance is likely to increase substantially.