How ethical and environmental message appeals influence consumer support for novel food technologies: epistemic value as a mediator

The advancement of food technologies seeks to address global challenges such as growing population, environmental sustainability, and ethical concerns in conventional agriculture (Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). Technologies such as Cellular agriculture (Cell Ag), Gene Editing (GE), and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) represent promising alternatives to traditional food production systems (Giacalone and Jaeger, 2023; Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). In support of sustainable food systems and national food security goals, governments worldwide have increasingly invested in research, development, and regulatory frameworks to facilitate the adoption of these technologies (Frewer et al., 2011). For instance, both Singapore and the U.S.A. have approved the commercial sale of cultivated meat (Lee et al., 2024; Stevens and Ruperti, 2024) and a growing number of countries have deregulated GE to enhance agricultural productivity, with New Zealand being one of the most recent (New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, n.d.). However, consumer perceptions continue to play a decisive role in shaping market acceptance and determining whether regulatory backing and industry investment in these technologies can be sustained (Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020).

One of the key approaches influencing consumer perceptions of novel food technologies is how information is presented (Zhang et al., 2022). Message appeal is the persuasive strategy used to influence attitudes or behaviours by highlighting specific types of information, such as emotional, ethical, or rational content (Kapoor et al., 2021; Skurka et al., 2025). While prior studies have identified perceived ethical and environmental benefits or concerns as important factors influencing consumer acceptance of novel food technologies, it remains unclear whether the effectiveness of ethical and environmental appeals depends on the extent to which they align with the perceived attributes and purposes of the technologies (Orivri et al., 2025; Septianto et al., 2023; Sheng et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2022). Understanding this alignment is important for developing communication strategies that resonate with consumer values and effectively foster support for novel food innovations (Mcinerney et al., 2004; Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). According to value congruence theory, individuals tend to form more favourable attitudes when products are perceived as consistent with their values (Edwards and Cable, 2009). This suggests that the effectiveness of a message appeal may depend on how well it aligns with individuals’ values regarding the food technology.

Cell Ag, GE, and CEA each have distinct characteristics and offer potential ethical and environmental benefits (Broad et al., 2022; Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). However, when message appeals emphasise these aspects, they may not align equally well with the core attributes of each technology, influencing how the consumer perceives and supports them (Septianto et al., 2023). Cell Ag enables the cultivation of edible parts of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits directly from animal or plant cells, eliminating the need for animal slaughter and reducing land use associated with traditional animal and arable farming (Eibl et al., 2021). GE is a precise genetic technique that makes small, targeted changes to an organism’s DNA to enhance traits without introducing foreign genes (Wang et al., 2021). CEA focuses on optimising food production in controlled environments, which promote growth rates and reduce disease pressure (Broad et al., 2022). Given the distinct characteristics of these novel food technologies, Cell Ag may be more responsive to ethical and environmental appeals than either GE or CEA, as it enables food production from animal cells without requiring animal slaughter or conventional land-based farming (Bryant and Barnett, 2018). This expectation is developed further in the next section, where the specific hypotheses are presented.

Epistemic value may serve as a mediating factor in explaining why ethical or environmental appeal is effective in increasing consumer support for Cell Ag, but not for GE and CEA. This value is related to the extent to which the perceived benefits of the product or technology stimulate curiosity, interest, and a sense of discovery among individuals (Pura, 2005; Gilly, 1992). According to epistemic motivation theory, people are driven to engage in learning when they perceive something as meaningful, relevant, or aligned with their beliefs (Amit and Sagiv, 2013; Kruglanski, 1980). Therefore, when ethical and environmental appeals align with the characteristics of a technology (i.e. Cell Ag), individuals may perceive greater epistemic value that reflects a sense of seeking. This may lead them to view technological advancements as opportunities for progress, or to increase their support for technology development.

This research examined whether ethical and environmental appeals increase consumer perceptions and support for Cell Ag, but not for GE or CEA. Additionally, it investigated epistemic value as a key mediator of these relationships. Theoretically, this research provides empirical evidence for the impacts of ethical and environmental appeals on consumer support across various food technologies. It also identifies epistemic value as a psychological mechanism to explain why message appeals are effective or not by revealing the underlying psychological process. Practically, the findings inform marketers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders on tailoring communication strategies to build public engagement and support for novel food technologies.

Message appeal is the strategic presentation of information to emphasise certain aspects of an issue or product, to influence perception and decision-making support (Kapoor et al., 2021). As individuals become more aware of how their actions and choices affect the environment and society, message appeals have gained recognition as powerful tools and have emerged as a significant area of research (Bailey et al., 2018; Wang, 2021). Previous studies have explored how message appeals influence consumer perceptions towards novel food technologies (Septianto et al., 2023; Sheng et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2022). Table 1 summarises key studies examining the impact of message appeals on consumer perceptions of novel food technologies. However, message appeals related to the ethical and environmental aspects of novel food technologies remain underexplored, particularly in terms of whether their effectiveness depends on how well they align with the technology’s core features and perceived purpose.

Both ethical and environmental aspects fall under the broader concept of sustainability (Saleh et al., 2024; Geissdoerfer et al., 2017), but they tend to elicit different cognitive and affective responses and can function as distinct value-based appeals (Ghvanidze et al., 2016; Han et al., 2017). Ethical appeals typically emphasise fairness, responsibility, or animal welfare, whereas environmental appeals focus specifically on environmental outcomes (Kershaw et al., 2023; Septianto et al., 2023). Examining them separately allows for a clearer understanding of how each appeal uniquely shapes consumer perceptions and support for novel food technologies, providing more precise insight into the mechanisms underlying value-driven responses (Han et al., 2017).

Novel food technologies, such as Cell Ag, GE, and CEA, offer ethical and environmental benefits to varying degrees (Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). For instance, Cell Ag technology reduces the need for livestock farming, minimising animal suffering and lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional meat production (Eibl et al., 2021). GE can improve crop resilience to pests and diseases, reducing reliance on harmful pesticides and enhancing nutritional profiles (Wang et al., 2021); and CEA, such as vertical farming, increases yields, reduces environment impact, and enables local food production (Broad et al., 2022).

It is important to note that information effectiveness could be compromised if it does not align with individuals’ beliefs and values (Zhang and Bloemer, 2008). Value congruence theory suggests that information that align with individuals’ beliefs of the technology’s core features are more likely to be seen as relevant and coherent, thereby enhancing their influence on the acceptance of novel food technologies (Banovic and Grunert, 2023; Edwards and Cable, 2009).

The effectiveness of an ethical or environmental appeal may vary across food technologies, depending on how the perceived alignment with the ethical and environmental implications. Cell Ag is often positioned as an ethical and sustainable alternative to conventional meat production, as it enables food to be grown from animal or plant cells without the need for slaughter or traditional land-based farming (Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). Thus, when introduced to the technology, people may readily associate it with benefits such as animal welfare and sustainability, despite concerns about its unnaturalness or feelings of disgust (Giacalone and Jaeger, 2023; Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). Indeed, a systematic review conducted by Bryant and Barnett (2018) highlighted that the most commonly perceived benefits of cultured meat among consumers are related to animal welfare and environmental impacts, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Although GE contributes to sustainability by improving crop resilience and nutritional quality, the link to its environmental or ethical benefits may be less intuitive (Wang et al., 2021). The general public may require more explanation or scientific literacy to fully grasp these advantages (Atimango et al., 2024; Gao et al., 2024). These knowledge gaps may overshadow the perceived benefits, making ethical or environmental appeals less effective for GE (Vasquez et al., 2022). For example, for many people, the term “genetic” tends to evoke associations with artificiality and risk, rather than with environmental progress (Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). Paudel et al. (2023) also found that highlighting the health and environmental benefits of GE had no significant impact on consumers’ willingness to try GE foods, and Gao et al. (2024) identified a negative relationship between ethical concern of GE and willingness to pay for GE food.

CEA, particularly vertical farming, is an advanced cultivation system that enhances food production efficiency in a controlled environment, regardless of external climate influences (Broad et al., 2022). However, without a deeper understanding, benefits such as pesticide elimination, reduced water use, and year-round local production may not be readily recognised by the public as ethical or environmental advantages (Son and Hwang, 2023). Previous research indicated that CEA has been linked to unnaturalness (Jürkenbeck et al., 2019). For example, Jürkenbeck et al. (2019) showed that consumers perceive CEA as a technical innovation focused on efficiency and convenience (e.g. using artificial LED lights rather than sunlight and natural soil). Moreover, Perambalam et al. (2021) found that owing to a general lack of knowledge and information about the benefits of CEA, consumers may feel confused and uncertain about whether to support the technology.

Although factors such as familiarity with food technologies, trust in science, and food neophobia are known to shape responses to novel food technologies (Bearth et al., 2024; Većkalov et al., 2023; Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020), these were not included as focal constructs in this study due to the research’s direct theoretical focus on value congruence and consumer perception. Based on the discussion above, Hypotheses 1 and 2 are proposed as follows:

Epistemic value refers to the perceived worth of new information based on its ability to enhance knowledge, stimulate interest, and foster discovery of new products or technologies (Pura, 2005; Gilly, 1992). It can act as a psychological mechanism that mediates the relationship between the ethical and environmental appeals and consumer support for the novel food technologies.

According to epistemic motivation theory, individuals are more receptive to information they perceive as meaningful and relevant to resolving uncertainty or contributing to their worldview (Amit and Sagiv, 2013; Kruglanski, 1980). When an environmental or ethical appeal enhances an individual’s perceived relevance and informativeness of the content, epistemic value can be activated, as people become more inclined to seek and acquire knowledge (Muis et al., 2018). This can deepen their evaluation of the technology, leading to stronger beliefs in its benefits and greater consumer support (Kiran et al., 2023). Moreover, previous research suggests that message appeals highlighting a product’s benefits can enhance its perceived value, influencing consumer evaluations and attitudes toward the product (Japutra et al., 2024).

However, the epistemic value increased by ethical and environmental appeals may influence consumer perceptions and support only for Cell Ag, but not for GE or CEA. Given the stronger alignment between Cell Ag and perceived ethical and environmental benefits, consumers may view Cell Ag as advantageous for food production, thereby increasing epistemic value and, in turn, fostering more positive perceptions and stronger support (Bryant and Barnett, 2018; Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020). By contrast, GE and CEA lack such intuitive associations, as their ethical and environmental benefits are less visible or require greater scientific literacy to be fully understood (Atimango et al., 2024; Gao et al., 2024). Thus, ethical or environmental appeals may be perceived as less relevant to GE or CEA, limiting their ability to activate epistemic value and increase public support (Perambalam et al., 2021). The following hypotheses are thus proposed:

The proposed conceptual model is presented in Figure 1.

Participants from New Zealand were recruited via the Dynata consumer panel. To ensure representativeness, sampling quotas were applied so that the demographic profile of the sample closely mirrored that of the national population. Participants were required to be at least 18 years old and residents of New Zealand. They also indicated their consent by selecting the option “I consent to take part in this survey” before proceeding to the questionnaire. Only those who provided consent were able to complete the survey. Attention check questions were included to ensure data quality and valid responses. After excluding participants who failed the attention checks, a total sample of 1,360 individuals remained. Of these participants, 53% identified as female, and over 80% were aged between 18 and 54. Detailed demographic information is available in  Supplemental Appendix A.

New Zealand was selected because of its strong commitment to developing innovative food technologies to address global food supply challenges, and the critical role of primary production as a major contributor to the country’s economy (Schnack et al., 2024). For example, as of 2024, the New Zealand Government announced plans to deregulate GE, enabling producers to leverage these advanced technologies (New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, n.d.). In 2024, the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) started funding research into cell-cultured foods, specifically targeting the development of cell-cultured seafood, through a five-year programme worth NZ$9.6 million (Bioeconomy Science Institute, 2024). In terms of CEA, New Zealand has been actively promoting it to enhance sustainable food production and reduce reliance on traditional farming methods (O’Connor, 2023). These initiatives have also stimulated public discourse on novel food technologies, raising awareness and encouraging debate on their potential benefits, risks, and role in the country’s future food system.

The study employed a 3 (Appeal: Ethical, Environmental, Novel) × 3 (Technology: Cell Ag, GE, CEA) between-subjects design, where participants were randomly assigned to one appeal message and one specific food technology. Specifically, 443 participants were assigned to the Cell Ag condition (n _Ethical = 159, n _{Environmental} = 144, n _Novel = 140), 465 participants received the GE condition (n _Ethical = 159, n _{Environmental} = 150, n _Novel = 156), and 452 participants were assigned to the CEA condition (n _Ethical = 152, n _{Environmental} = 143, n _Novel = 157). The use of an experimental design with random assignment helps minimise the potential influence of pre-existing attitudes or knowledge towards the technologies, ensuring that observed effects can be attributed to the message appeals (Kardes and Herr, 2019).

The online survey, created using SurveyMonkey, was designed to examine whether message appeal enhances consumer perceptions on various novel food technologies. At the beginning, participants were presented with an introductory explanation of one of the assigned food technologies, combined with one of the assigned appeal messages (see the  Supplemental Appendix B) The appeal messages were adapted from prior studies in which similar message framings were validated to produce the expected effects (Kershaw et al., 2023; Septianto et al., 2023). We also kept the messaging balanced and avoided overstating any specific benefits of the technologies, to maintain neutrality and minimise potential bias. The appeal message varied based on the experimental condition. Specifically, the ethical appeal used the phrase “providing an ethical choice when buying food”; the environmental appeal emphasised “lowering the environmental impact of food production”; and the novelty appeal highlighted “offering a new way of growing food.”

After reviewing this information, participants indicated their perceptions on the technology improvement, their willingness to support government initiatives, and their epistemic value. The survey concluded with demographic questions, including age, gender, education, and geographic location.

To evaluate consumer views of various novel food technologies, we examined their perceptions on technology improvement, willingness to support government initiatives, and epistemic value. Perception of technology improvement was measured using the item: “How much do you see the described technology being an improvement to the currently used food production technologies?” on a sliding scale ranging from −50 (not an improvement at all) to +50 (a significant improvement). Willingness to support government initiatives was assessed with the item: “How likely is it that you would support government investment into research and development of the described food technology?” on a sliding scale from 0% (no probability) to 100% (certain support). Epistemic value (α = 0.77), adapted from Rahnama (2017) and Yuan et al. (2022), were measured using a sliding scale from −50 to +50, with higher scores reflecting a stronger perception of epistemic value. Sample items include: “I think this novel food technology may stimulate my curiosity”, and “I think this novel food technology make me feel proud serving it to my guests”.

A univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the effect of message appeal on consumer perceptions of various novel food technologies (Hypotheses 1 and 2). The analysis focused on two dependent variables: perceived technological improvement and support for government initiatives, with the message appeal condition (ethical, environmental, or novel) as the independent variable. To further investigate pairwise differences between appeal conditions, simple contrast analyses using independent samples t-tests were conducted. The novel appeal condition served as the baseline, consistent with prior research indicating that novel food technologies are typically perceived as advanced and innovative by the public (Siegrist and Hartmann, 2020).

Epistemic value was examined as a mediator to understand the underlying mechanism linking message appeals to consumer perceptions of technology improvement and support for government initiatives across Cell Ag, GE and CEA (Hypotheses 3 and 4). We conducted separate mediation analyses for each technology. The bootstrapping approach (PROCESS Model 4; 5,000 bootstrap samples) was used for these analyses (Hayes, 2012). The independent variables were dummy coded for message appeals (Ethical = 1, Novel = 0; Environmental = 1, Novel = 0). Epistemic value served as the mediator, while consumer perceptions of technology improvement and support for government initiatives were the dependent variables.

Figures 2 and 3 present the mean values for perceived technology improvement and government support across different appeal conditions and technologies. The findings showed that message appeal had a marginally significant effect on consumer perceptions of Cell Ag as an improvement in current food production technologies, F = 2.41, p = 0.09, and their willingness to support government initiatives on the technology, F = 2.46, p = 0.09 (both tests on 2 and 440 df). Further simple contrast analyses revealed a significant difference between ethical and novel appeals. Specifically, participants perceived Cell Ag as a greater improvement (M ethical = 10.82 vs M novel = 4.57; t = −2.0, p = 0.05) and expressed stronger support for government initiatives on the technology (M ethical = 51.95 vs M novel = 45.07; t = −1.95, p = 0.05). Additionally, a marginally significant difference was found between environmental and novel appeals, with an environmental appeal leading to higher perceptions of Cell Ag as a technology improvement (M environmental = 10.00 vs M novel = 4.57; t = −1.78, p = 0.07), and greater support for government initiatives on the technology (M environmental = 51.74 vs M novel = 45.07; t = −1.87, p = 0.06).

In contrast, message appeal had no significant effect on consumer perceptions of GE as a technology improvement, F = 0.66, p = 0.52, or their willingness to support government initiatives related to this technology, F = 0.34, p = 0.72 (both tests on 2 and 462 df). Similarly, message appeal did not influence consumer perceptions of CEA as a technology improvement, F = 0.44, p = 0.65, or their willingness to support government initiatives for this technology, F = 0.20, p = 0.82 (both tests on 2 and 449 df). As no significant effects were found between appeal conditions and the dependent variables, further simple contrast analyses were not conducted. These findings indicate that appeal did not lead to differences in consumer perceptions of technological improvement or support for government initiatives for GE and CEA. Therefore, H1 is supported, while H2 received marginal support, showing a trend in the expected direction.

When an ethical appeal (vs novel) was used as the independent variable, epistemic value significantly mediated the relationship between message appeal and perceptions of technology improvement for Cell Ag (indirect effect = 4.81, 95% CI = 0.31 to 9.44), whereas the direct effect of message appeal on perceptions of technology improvement for Cell Ag was not significant (b = 1.44, p > 0.05), indicating full mediation. However, no significant mediation effect was found for GE (indirect effect = −1.627, 95% CI = −5.29 to 2.00) or CEA (indirect effect = 0.440, 95% CI = −2.87 to 3.73).

Similarly, epistemic value had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between message appeal and support for government initiatives for Cell Ag (indirect effect = 4.91, 95% CI = 0.29 to 9.50), but not for GE (indirect effect = −1.77, 95% CI = −5.82 to 2.20) or CEA (indirect effect = 0.45, 95% CI = −3.03 to 3.86). The direct effect of message appeal on support for government initiatives for Cell Ag was also not significant (b = 1.96, p > 0.05), providing evidence of full mediation. Full mediation regression results are presented in Tables 2 and 3. Hypothesis 3 is thus supported.

When comparing environmental and novel appeals, epistemic value played a significant mediating role in shaping perceptions of technology improvement for Cell Ag (indirect effect = 3.37, 95% CI = 1.14 to 5.73). No significant direct effect of message appeal on perceptions of technology improvement for Cell Ag was found (b = −0.66, p > 0.05), indicating full mediation. However, this mediation effect was not observed for GE (indirect effect = 0.07, 95% CI = −1.65 to 1.83) or CEA (indirect effect = 0.62, 95% CI = −1.19 to 2.34).

In addition, the relationship between message appeal and support for government initiatives for Cell Ag through the mediation of epistemic value was identified (indirect effect = 3.53, 95% CI = 1.23 to 5.88), whereas the direct effect of message appeal on support for government initiatives for Cell Ag was not significant (b = −0.19, p > 0.05), reflecting full mediation. However, this mediation effect did not apply to GE (indirect effect = 0.09, 95% CI = −2.09 to 2.35) or CEA (indirect effect = 0.73, 95% CI = −1.46 to 2.80). The complete mediation regression results are shown in Tables 4 and 5. These results thus support Hypothesis 4.

This study investigates whether ethical and environmental appeals influence consumer perceptions and support for novel food technologies, specifically Cell Ag, GE, and CEA, based on how well these appeals align with the core attributes of each technology. More importantly, the study identifies epistemic value as a key psychological mechanism that helps explain why these message appeals succeed or fail.

This research offers important theoretical contributions by exploring how and why the fit between message appeals and specific novel food technologies influences consumer responses. While earlier studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of ethical and environmental appeals in promoting sustainable behaviour (Chen et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2022), this study highlights that their persuasiveness depends on the extent to which the consumer perceives these appeals as aligned with the core attributes of Cell Ag, GE, and CEA.

In this study, ethical and environmental appeals positively influenced consumer perceptions of and support for Cell Ag, although the effect of environmental framing was marginally significant. This is consistent with Hypothesis 1 and provides marginal support for Hypothesis 2. The findings suggest that environmental benefits may resonate with some consumers but are not yet a uniformly strong basis for Cell Ag compared with ethical considerations. In contrast, these appeals were ineffective for GE and CEA, where public understanding and discourse may be less likely to connect the technologies with ethical or environmental advantages. These findings contribute to framing theory by highlighting the importance of value congruence, showing that the persuasive impact of message appeals on consumer support for novel food technologies is contingent upon their alignment with the inherent characteristics of the technology (Chong and Druckman, 2007; Edwards and Cable, 2009).

Furthermore, the research findings are based on New Zealand participants, where ethical and environmental appeals may resonate strongly because they are embedded within broader societal narratives about sustainability and animal welfare (Wang et al., 2023; Giacalone and Jaeger, 2023). However, other countries may perceive novel food technology differently. For example, Japan may exhibit lower acceptance of novel food technologies due to its cultural tendency toward high uncertainty avoidance (Shigi and Seo, 2023; Hofstede Insights, 2025), whereas Singapore, with its strong government investment in food security and advanced technologies, shows comparatively higher acceptance (Giacalone and Jaeger, 2023). These cultural and societal differences indicate that the magnitude of the effectiveness of such appeals may vary not only by the characteristics of technology itself but also the country’s societal and cultural narratives.

It is also important to note that this study focused on perceived technological improvement and attitudinal support, and such perceptions are often important precursors to consumer behaviours, including willingness to try, purchase, or recommend novel food technologies (Safi Sis et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2021). This suggests that the attitudinal effects observed in this study may have meaningful implications for how consumers ultimately engage with these products in practice.

This research highlights epistemic value as a key psychological mechanism shaping consumer support for novel food technologies, supporting hypotheses 3 and 4. Specifically, it shows that epistemic value can foster more positive perceptions of Cell Ag when ethical or environmental appeals are used. However, this effect was not observed for GE or CEA under similar conditions. This divergence underscores that epistemic value may not be activated across all the technologies but is contingent on whether message appeals resonate with the technology’s perceived purpose and societal positioning.

The findings also align with epistemic motivation theory, which suggests that people are more likely to engage with information they find meaningful, relevant, or aligned with their values (Amit and Sagiv, 2013; Kruglanski, 1980). Our study thus offers insights into how epistemic value is activated, not solely by the message content but also by its perceived alignment with the technology’s core characteristics and intended purpose (Muis et al., 2018). In the case of Cell Ag, ethical and environmental appeals reinforce widely circulated narratives around sustainability and animal welfare, thereby enhancing perceptions through epistemic engagement. This deeper engagement helps explain why message appeals may succeed or fail across different novel food technologies.

This research provides valuable insights for marketers, policymakers, communication strategists, and technology developers aiming to improve public support for novel food technologies. The findings indicate that, although public debates in New Zealand frequently centre on ethical concerns and sustainability, the effectiveness of appeals based on these themes depends on how well they align with the perceived attributes of each technology. Specifically, ethical and environmental appeals may be effective in increasing support for Cell Ag because they align with the technology’s core benefits, such as animal welfare and sustainability. In contrast, such appeals had little effect on responses to GE and CEA, indicating that a uniform messaging strategy across technologies may not be effective. For GE and CEA, alternative messaging that emphasises food security or scientific credibility may better address public concerns and improve acceptance.

The study also identifies epistemic value as an important factor in shaping consumer responses. Messages that help people feel they are learning something meaningful and relevant can foster curiosity and increase support, especially when the content aligns with the way people understand the technology. This highlights the importance of designing communication that not only emphasises technological benefits but also encourages deeper reflection for consumers to make sense of the information.

Consequently, gaining consumer support is not only about delivering positive messages but also about ensuring that the message content fits with the perceived identity of the technology. Since consumers tend to have limited knowledge about Cell Ag, GE, and CEA, communication efforts should begin with an understanding of how they view each technology. Messages should then be tested for alignment with these perceptions before being widely implemented. This approach can help build trust and reduce confusion or resistance that may arise from messages that seem inconsistent or unclear.

While this study provides important insights into the role of message appeals and epistemic value in shaping consumer perceptions of novel food technologies, a number of limitations should be acknowledged to guide future research. Firstly, this study focused on three specific technologies, namely: Cell Ag, GE, and CE, so other emerging food innovations remain to be explored. Future research could extend this framework to additional technologies such as food irradiation and precision fermentation, to validate and refine the theoretical model.

Second, although this study identified epistemic value as a key mechanism explaining how ethical and environmental appeals influence consumer perceptions, the impacts of these appeals may depend on other contextual factors, such as trust in science, and science literacy. Future studies should investigate these potential moderators to better understand under what conditions message appeal is most effective.

Third, the study focused on participants from New Zealand. Evaluating the concept examined in this research in other countries and cultural contexts would help increase the generalisability of the findings. Finally, this research relied primarily on self-reported perceptions, which may differ from real-world exposure and behaviour. Future studies could incorporate longitudinal designs or field experiments to examine how communication strategies affect actual behaviours, policy support, or market adoption over time. Despite these considerations, the present study offers a robust foundation for understanding how message appeals shape support for different novel food technologies, and it opens promising avenues for further theoretical and applied inquiry.

Participant demographics

Experimental conditions across novel food technologies.

Cell-Cultured Food is a technology that enables growing the edible parts of meat, fish, and fruits from only animal and plant cells. Products such as steaks, fish fillets, and fruit purees can be produced without the need for traditional farming methods. This technology has the potential to give consumers more ethical choices when buying food.

Cell-Cultured Food is a technology that enables growing the edible parts of meat, fish, and fruits from only animal and plant cells. Products such as steaks, fish fillets, and fruit purees can be produced without the need for traditional farming methods. This technology has the potential to help lower the environmental impacts of food production.

Cell-Cultured Food is a technology that enables growing the edible parts of meat, fish, and fruits from only animal and plant cells. Products such as steaks, fish fillets, and fruit purees can be produced without the need for traditional farming methods. This technology has the potential to offer a completely new way of growing food.

Genetic Editing is a technology that gives the ability to precisely alter the original genetic material within plant cells. It helps create plants that have more favourable characteristics compared to their conventionally grown counterparts, such as a more compact anatomy or resistance to common pests. This technology has the potential to give consumers more ethical choices when buying food.

Genetic Editing is a technology that gives the ability to precisely alter the original genetic material within plant cells. It helps create plants that have more favourable characteristics compared to their conventionally grown counterparts, such as a more compact anatomy or resistance to common pests. This technology has the potential to help lower the environmental impacts of food production.

Genetic Editing is a technology that gives the ability to precisely alter the original genetic material within plant cells. It helps create plants that have more favourable characteristics compared to their conventionally grown counterparts, such as a more compact anatomy or resistance to common pests. This technology has the potential to offer a completely new way of growing food.

Controlled Environment Agriculture, i.e. vertical farming, is a way of indoor farming that allows increased control over the growing environment of crops. This protects them from the uncertainties of the outdoor growing conditions (e.g. climate events, pests). This technology has the potential to give consumers more ethical choices when buying food.

Controlled Environment Agriculture, i.e. vertical farming, is a way of indoor farming that allows increased control over the growing environment of crops. This protects them from the uncertainties of the outdoor growing conditions (e.g. climate events, pests).This technology has the potential to help lower the environmental impacts of food production.

Controlled Environment Agriculture, i.e. vertical farming, is a way of indoor farming that allows increased control over the growing environment of crops. This protects them from the uncertainties of the outdoor growing conditions (e.g. climate events, pests). This technology has the potential to offer a completely new way of growing food.