Gen Z is more open to food technology than older generations, according to a new study.

Ketchum’s Food Tech Consumer Perception study also found that food makers communicating about food technology may be more effective at reaching consumers by selecting the right combination of scientifically supported facts and benefits.

According to the study, Gen Z respondents indicated they are more likely to try a food grown with technology (77%) and are more comfortable overall with the use of technology to grow food (71%) than are millennials (67% likely to try/56% comfortable), Gen X (58%/51%) and Baby Boomers (58%/58%).

Higher percentages of Gen Z and millennials qualified as Food eVangelists, a type of influencer first identified by Ketchum in 2013. While 27% of Gen Z and 29% of millennials fit the profile of this small but globally powerful group who want to impact the way food is raised, packaged and sold, just 8% of Baby Boomers and 15% of Gen X can be considered Food eVangelists.

"Food can evoke powerful emotions, so companies that make food technology or food produced using technology need to understand how consumers react to messages on both the conscious, rational level and the subconscious level," says Bill Zucker, partner and managing director of Food for Ketchum. "Consumers want access to information that is understandable and transparent so they can make decisions that are right for them."