Impact of terminology on consumer acceptance of emerging technologies through the example of PEF technology

Emerging technologies, such as pulsed electric fields (PEF), are gaining interest as non-thermal means to gently preserve food and to initiate cell disintegration. Industrial implementation of the PEF technology and commercialisation of processed products are already in progress. However, there is still a lack of consistency with regard to standardised terminology, process descriptions and communication of the new technology to the consumer, including what determines the marketability of the product processed by these technologies. This article contains a brief review of the technology's principle, history and terminology as well as suggestions of an appropriate name and process description, taking into account consumer acceptance and introduction of the technology based on our primer focus groups interviews. Industrial relevance: It is essential for the marketability of a novel technology that it has to offer unambiguous benefits for consumers. Consumer attitudes will determine the acceptance of novel food items and, to some extent, the implementation of new processing technologies. Consumer attitudes will depend in part on how the technologies are introduced. The paper provides results from a study on consumer acceptance based on terminology and description of an emerging technology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.