Knowledge: A Factor for Acceptance of Insects as Food

Abstract

The role that insects will play in a healthier and more sustainable diet has been highlighted in the last years, at the European level. In future, due to environmental concerns and population growth, eating insects might be a solution for many problems. However, populations without the tradition of eating insects are still reluctant in accepting such a food as part of their diet. The present observational study highlights some factors that are influencing the acceptance of insects as food in Romania, in 2022. A number of 496 Romanian adults, 433 women and 63 men, with the mean age 39.3 ± 11 years, completed a validated questionnaire analyzing food behaviors, as well as attitudes and knowledge in relation to insects, including sustainability, nutrition and food safety aspects. Only 6.3% of participants had already eaten insects, while 43.8% claimed their openness to do it in future. Insect-based products were accepted more than insects that can be perceived as such. The most frequent words associated with insects were rather deleterious: disgust, odd, nausea, not to eat, or curiosity. Investigating the factors involved in insect acceptability in Romanians’ diets, we found a statistically significant correlation between openness to eat them and the knowledge about insects as being a valuable, sustainable and safe source of nutrients. Targeted education seems to be an important tool in accepting them as part of future diets.

Edible Insects: A Study of the Availability of Insect-Based Food in Poland

“…In order to promote edible insects more effectively and persuasively as future food, more knowledge is needed about the nutritional value of insects and the environmental advantages of entomophagy [33]. It is crucial to educate people about the health, environmental, and economic benefits of edible insects to introduce them as food in the future, as this can increase their willingness to do so [51,79,82,83]. The availability and variety of insect-based food products on the Polish market can also influence perceptions.…”

“…Furthermore, insect-based products seem to be more widely accepted than whole insects [73,79]. Certain products, such as insect powders (flours), bakery products, and protein bars, have improved their acceptance [77].…”

Consumers’ Perceptions about Edible Insects’ Nutritional Value and Health Effects: Study Involving 14 Countries

“…This work confirmed a higher average level of knowledge for Mexican and Lebanese participants, as well as differences among European countries, with Spanish and Polish participants being better informed about the nutritive value and health effects of EIs. Previous work has shown that knowledge is a valuable instrument for the acceptance of insects as food in communities where there is no tradition of eating insects [ 64 ].…”

Attitudes and purchase intentions of polish university students towards food made from insects—A modelling approach

“…From the standpoint of sustainable development and environmental protection, breeding and processing insects is also associated with many environmental benefits as it, i.a., requires less area and smaller water consumption than conventional production, generates lower greenhouse gas emissions than mass production, and may use waste from the agri-food industry as inputs to produce food and feedstuffs, which further corresponds to the current trends of "zero waste" and "circular economy" [5,9,[34][35][36][37][38]. Beside the environmental aspect, insect production ensures a higher feed conversion ratio compared to the conventional animal production [23,[39][40][41]. The production of food containing insects is also economically viable.…”