Fuat Yılmaz^1,, Serim Tuna Koç², Fatma Coşkun³

This study investigates consumer attitudes and preferences toward cultured meat, focusing on awareness, acceptance levels, and expectations. As a representative group of future agricultural professionals, students at Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Agriculture were selected as the sample population due to their familiarity with agricultural and food production processes, as well as their potential to influence future food trends. While a significant portion of participants prioritized health, safety, and quality in their food choices, their acceptance of cultured meat remained limited due to concerns regarding taste, naturalness, and ethics. Awareness of the environmental and ethical advantages of cultured meat was low, whereas food safety and quality and nutritional value were deemed more important. The findings highlight that although cultured meat has the potential to reduce environmental impacts and meet protein demands, knowledge gaps, economic concerns, and cultural adaptation remain significant barriers. Facilitating cultured meat adoption requires significant improvements in taste and consumer trust, alongside targeted awareness campaigns and supportive policies addressing key economic and cultural barriers.

red meat acceptance, consumer attitudes, sustainable food, food technology, alternative agriculture, food neophobia