Information and taste interventions for improving consumer acceptance of edible insects: a pilot study

Abstract

Insects are a sustainable protein source with poor consumer acceptance in developed countries. An Eating Insects Conference and Tasting Demonstration was hosted with a goal of promoting consumption of edible insects. The event consisted of an educational session that provided information about entomophagy followed by a cooking and tasting demonstration of edible insects. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted to assess the effect of the event on participants’ acceptance of entomophagy. Forty-three attendees completed the surveys. After attending the event, participants felt more knowledgeable about entomophagy, which positively correlated with willingness to consume edible insects. Participants who believed that entomophagy is sustainable were more willing to consume edible insects than those who did not. Although all participants consumed insects at the tasting demonstration, those with prior consumption experiences had significantly higher post-intervention willingness scores, indicating repeated exposures may be necessary for improving consumer acceptance of edible insects. The event raised awareness of using insects as food and provided useful information for developing effective interventions to promote insect consumption.

Acceptance of Insect-Based Food Products in Western Societies: A Systematic Review

“…Previous reviews have indicated that the concept of eating insects would likely be more appealing to younger people than older people ( 4 , 21 , 22 ). In contrast, the majority of studies (61.1%) in our review concluded that there was no link between age and Westerners' acceptance of edible insects ( 39 , 41 , 42 , 48 , 51 , 55 , 56 , 58 , 61 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 72 – 74 , 86 , 104 – 106 , 108 , 109 , 117 ). However, 36.1% of all studies that evaluated the effect of age on consumers' acceptance observed a negative effect of age ( 2 , 64 , 65 , 67 , 71 , 76 , 77 , 87 , 92 , 93 , 97 , 99 , 115 ), which means that younger people had a higher acceptance of insect-based foods than older people, while two studies (5.6%) identified a positive connection ( 49 , 107 ).…”

“…Ethnicity does not seem to influence acceptance toward insect-derived foods ( 106 ). Woolf et al ( 106 ) differentiated between six groups to elicit ethnicity: Caucasians, Latino Americans, Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Indian Americans, and participants with “ two or more ethnicities.”…”

“…Furthermore, twelve studies dealt with sustainability awareness of Western consumers and its effects on their acceptance of edible insects ( 36 , 53 , 67 , 74 , 76 , 77 , 106 ). Sustainability awareness describes whether a person considers sustainability in an action or when choosing an object, for instance, when buying food.…”

“…Familiarity or knowledge of the concept of edible insects was investigated in 16 studies ( 2 , 37 , 49 , 51 , 61 , 66 , 67 , 76 , 86 , 95 , 100 , 104 – 106 , 112 , 141 ). In most of these studies, familiarity refers to whether people have heard of the concept of edible insects.…”

Effect of Disclosed Information on Product Liking, Emotional Profile, and Purchase Intent: A Case of Chocolate Brownies Containing Edible-Cricket Protein

“…These concerns arise mainly because of the limited availability of information about the process used to guarantee the innocuity and quality of the insect-derived ingredient [48,66] and its regulations [67] when incorporated into foods. However, this could be substantially improved if potential consumers are educated about the safety and regulations governing edible insect process throughout the added-value chain starting in farms until presented in a meal [68] and by repeated exposure to tasting events involving edible insects without any health-related adverse outcome [69]. [44].…”