Introduction: The world´s population is increasing and thus the pressure on the earth´s resources. To ensure food supply and sustainability, food habits in western societies have to change. A significant contribution to global sustainability can be achieved by, for example, decreasing meat consumption 1. Advantages concerning nutrition and sustainability have been found by inclusion of insects in the diet2. Insects as food has a large potential, and the “culinary way” seems to be an effective way to reach consumer acceptance for insect-based foods3. The aim was to examine consumer acceptance and neophobia related to the use of insects as ingredients in food.
Methods: Food neophobia4, attitudes and acceptance were surveyed by a web-based questionnaire answered by 150 respondents.
Results: Significantly higher acceptance was shown for insect protein added to foods as a “powder”, with invisible insects than for added visible insects. The interest of buying insect protein as a powder was higher than of buying whole insects. Further, 24 of the respondents (16%) were considered neophobic.
Discussion: To reach acceptance of insect protein, culinary food could include “non-visible” insects. This is in line with the fact that food neophobia and acceptance are influenced by the sensory attributes and benefits of the actual food. Further, neophobia varies over the life course 5.
Conclusions: The use of insect protein in food as a powder has higher acceptance than use of whole insects. 16% of the respondent were neophobic.
References:
1. WWF. Living Planet Report 20
2. Yen. Edible insects: Traditional knowledge or western phobia? Entomological Research 2009
3. Astrup Pedersen. Disgusting or delicious, MSc Thesis, Copenhagen University 2014
4. Pliner, Hobden. Development of a scale to measure the trait of food neophobia in humans. Appetite 1992
5. Pliner, Salvy. Food neophobia in humans. Shepherd, Raats, ed. The psychology of food choice. 2006
2017.