The Connect4Action Delphi study: report of the round 1 outcomes (Deliverable 3.1)

This deliverable reports on a first round Delphi survey conducted in autumn 2012. The survey asks participants ‘to articulate key priorities, preferences and identify perceived barriers to inclusion of consumer science data regarding technology acceptance into product development’ (DoW, p22). In all 75 usable responses were received to an on-line questionnaire. The survey identified three critical points of communication which influence whether commercialisation is successful: 1. Communication with consumers to determine their preferences so that products produced using a new food technology will be developed and purchased by them. 2. Communication with consumers to inform them about new food technologies to prevent subsequent rejection of resultant products. 3. Communication between actors in the chain extending from technology development to retail. The main communication difficulty results from inter-disciplinary differences, as key actors have different goals, different mind-sets, use different methods and terminology, and may have a low awareness of what others try to do