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Monaco A, Kotz J, Al Masri M, Allmeta A, Purnhagen KP, König LM. Consumers' perception of novel foods and the impact of heuristics and biases: A systematic review. Appetite 2024; 196:107285. [PMID: 38423301 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
According to the definition adopted in the European Union, novel foods are foods that were not consumed to a significant degree within the Union before May 15, 1997. This includes cultivated meat and insects. Novel foods are meant to play a critical role in the transition towards sustainable food systems. However, their success depends on whether and to what extent they will be incorporated into the diets at the population level. This review investigates consumers' perception of novel food products by narratively synthesising results on the influence of heuristics and biases triggered by emotions, personality traits, and socio-cultural factors. Empirical studies conducted in Western countries and published in English after 1997 were eligible, which led to 182 studies being included. Notably, most included studies focused on insects and cultivated meat. Disgust and fear are shown to be the main emotions driving rejection of novel foods, together with food neophobia and specific cultural norms common across countries included in the scope of the review. Familiarity with novel foods and curiosity both led to higher acceptance. Despite being investigated directly in a minority of studies, heuristics and related biases mostly fell under the "affect," the "natural-is-better," and the "trust" heuristics. The review also discusses to what extent consumers' perception reflects in the regulatory framework applicable to novel foods in the European Union, how it influences the regulation of insects and cultivated meat and which lessons can be drawn for the future of the regulatory framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Monaco
- Chair of Food Law, Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, Fritz-Hornschuch-Straße 13, 95326 Kulmbach, Germany.
| | - Johannes Kotz
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany; Junior Professorship of Public Health Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, Fritz-Hornschuch-Straße 13, 95326 Kulmbach, Germany
| | - Mirna Al Masri
- Junior Professorship of Public Health Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, Fritz-Hornschuch-Straße 13, 95326 Kulmbach, Germany
| | - Anila Allmeta
- Junior Professorship of Public Health Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, Fritz-Hornschuch-Straße 13, 95326 Kulmbach, Germany
| | - Kai P Purnhagen
- Chair of Food Law, Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, Fritz-Hornschuch-Straße 13, 95326 Kulmbach, Germany
| | - Laura M König
- Junior Professorship of Public Health Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, Fritz-Hornschuch-Straße 13, 95326 Kulmbach, Germany; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Wächtergasse 1/504, 1010 Vienna, Austria
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Carlson AB, Mathesius CA, Gunderson TA, Hession A, Bruyere R, Mirsky HP, Zhang J, Sandmann M, Fallers MN, Herman RA. Protein familiarity is a fundamental but rarely operationalized concept in the safety assessment of genetically modified crops: example of phosphomannose isomerase (PMI). Transgenic Res 2023; 32:423-435. [PMID: 37415055 PMCID: PMC10602950 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-023-00358-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Fundamental to the safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops is the concept of negligible risk for newly expressed proteins for which there is a history of safe use. Although this simple concept has been stated in international and regional guidance for assessing the risk of newly expressed proteins in GM crops, its full implementation by regulatory authorities has been lacking. As a result, safety studies are often repeated at a significant expenditure of resources by developers, study results are repeatedly reviewed by regulators, and animals are sacrificed needlessly to complete redundant animal toxicity studies. This situation is illustrated using the example of the selectable marker phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) for which familiarity has been established. Reviewed is the history of safe use for PMI and predictable results of newly conducted safety studies including bioinformatic comparisons, resistance to digestion, and acute toxicity that were repeated to gain regulatory reapproval of PMI expressed from constructs in recently developed GM maize. As expected, the results of these newly repeated hazard-identification and characterization studies for PMI indicate negligible risk. PMI expressed in recently developed GM crops provides an opportunity to use the concept of familiarity by regulatory authorities to reduce risk-disproportionate regulation of these new events and lessen the resulting waste of both developer and regulator resources, as well as eliminate unnecessary animal testing. This would also correctly imply that familiar proteins like PMI have negligible risk. Together, such modernization of regulations would benefit society through enabling broader and faster access to needed technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Carlson
- Corteva Agriscience, 8325 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA
| | | | - Tim A Gunderson
- Corteva Agriscience, 8325 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA
| | - Aideen Hession
- Corteva Agriscience, 8325 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA
| | - Reba Bruyere
- Corteva Agriscience, 8325 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA
| | - Henry P Mirsky
- Corteva Agriscience, 8325 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA
| | - John Zhang
- Corteva Agriscience, 8325 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA
| | - Mat Sandmann
- Corteva Agriscience, 8325 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA
| | - Melissa N Fallers
- Corteva Agriscience, Haskell R&D Center, P.O. Box 30, Newark, DE, 19714, USA
| | - Rod A Herman
- Corteva Agriscience, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN, 46268, USA
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Gould F, Amasino RM, Brossard D, Buell CR, Dixon RA, Falck-Zepeda JB, Gallo MA, Giller KE, Glenna LL, Griffin T, Magraw D, Mallory-Smith C, Pixley KV, Ransom EP, Stelly DM, Stewart CN. Toward product-based regulation of crops. Science 2022; 377:1051-1053. [PMID: 36048940 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo3034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Current process-based approaches to regulation are no longer fit for purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred Gould
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - Richard M Amasino
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - Dominique Brossard
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - C Robin Buell
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - Richard A Dixon
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | | | - Michael A Gallo
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - Ken E Giller
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - Leland L Glenna
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - Timothy Griffin
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - Daniel Magraw
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | | | - Kevin V Pixley
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - Elizabeth P Ransom
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - David M Stelly
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
| | - C Neal Stewart
- The list of author affiliations is available in the supplementary materials
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Belavilas-Trovas A, Gregoriou ME, Tastsoglou S, Soukia O, Giakountis A, Mathiopoulos K. A species-specific lncRNA modulates the reproductive ability of the asian tiger mosquito. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:885767. [PMID: 36091452 PMCID: PMC9448860 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.885767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) research has emerged as an independent scientific field in recent years. Despite their association with critical cellular and metabolic processes in plenty of organisms, lncRNAs are still a largely unexplored area in mosquito research. We propose that they could serve as exceptional tools for pest management due to unique features they possess. These include low inter-species sequence conservation and high tissue specificity. In the present study, we investigated the role of ovary-specific lncRNAs in the reproductive ability of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. Through the analysis of transcriptomic data, we identified several lncRNAs that were differentially expressed upon blood feeding; we called these genes Norma (NOn-coding RNA in Mosquito ovAries). We observed that silencing some of these Normas resulted in significant impact on mosquito fecundity and fertility. We further focused on Norma3 whose silencing resulted in 43% oviposition reduction, in smaller ovaries and 53% hatching reduction of the laid eggs, compared to anti-GFP controls. Moreover, a significant downregulation of 2 mucins withing a neighboring (∼100 Kb) mucin cluster was observed in smaller anti-Norma3 ovaries, indicating a potential mechanism of in-cis regulation between Norma3 and the mucins. Our work constitutes the first experimental proof-of-evidence connecting lncRNAs with mosquito reproduction and opens a novel path for pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Belavilas-Trovas
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Maria-Eleni Gregoriou
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Spyros Tastsoglou
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, Lamia, Greece
- Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Olga Soukia
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Antonis Giakountis
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Kostas Mathiopoulos
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
- *Correspondence: Kostas Mathiopoulos,
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Rank AP, Koch A. Lab-to-Field Transition of RNA Spray Applications - How Far Are We? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:755203. [PMID: 34721485 PMCID: PMC8554022 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.755203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The drastic loss of biodiversity has alarmed the public and raised sociopolitical demand for chemical pesticide-free plant production, which is now treated by governments worldwide as a top priority. Given this global challenge, RNAi-based technologies are rapidly evolving as a promising substitute to conventional chemical pesticides. Primarily, genetically modified (GM) crops expressing double-stranded (ds)RNA-mediating gene silencing of foreign transcripts have been developed. However, since the cultivation of GM RNAi crops is viewed negatively in numerous countries, GM-free exogenous RNA spray applications attract tremendous scientific and political interest. The sudden rise in demand for pesticide alternatives has boosted research on sprayable RNA biopesticides, generating significant technological developments and advancing the potential for field applications in the near future. Here we review the latest advances that could pave the way for a quick lab-to-field transition for RNA sprays, which, as safe, selective, broadly applicable, and cost-effective biopesticides, represent an innovation in sustainable crop production. Given these latest advances, we further discuss technological limitations, knowledge gaps in the research, safety concerns and regulatory requirements that need to be considered and addressed before RNA sprays can become a reliable and realistic agricultural approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aline Koch
- Institute of Phytomedicine, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
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Raybould A. Improving the politics of biotechnological innovations in food security and other sustainable development goals. Transgenic Res 2021; 30:613-618. [PMID: 34351560 PMCID: PMC8340810 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-021-00277-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The unwarranted interference of some environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) in decision-making over genetically modified (GM) crops has prompted calls for politics to be removed from the regulatory governance of these products. However, regulatory systems are inevitably political because their purpose is to decide whether the use of particular products will help or hinder the delivery of public policy objectives. ENGOs are most able to interfere in regulatory decision-making when policy objectives and decision-making criteria are vague, making the process vulnerable to disruption by organisations that have a distinct agenda. Making regulatory decision-making about GM crops and other green biotechnology more resistant to interference therefore requires better politics not the removal of politics. Better politics begins with political leadership making a case for green biotechnology in achieving food security and other sustainable development goals. Such a policy must involve making political choices and cannot be outsourced to science. Other aspects of better politics include regulatory reform to set policy aims and decision-making criteria that encourage innovation as well as control risk, and engagement with civil society that discusses the values behind attitudes to the application of green biotechnology. In short, green biotechnology for sustainable development needs better politics to counter well-organised opposition, to encourage innovation, and to build the trust of civil society for these policies. Removing politics from regulatory governance would be a gift to ENGOs that are opposed to the use of biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Raybould
- Innogen Institute, School of Social and Political Science, The University of Edinburgh, Old Surgeons' Hall, Edinburgh, EH1 1LZ, UK.
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, Easter Bush Campus, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
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