IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i23p15756-d985148.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Consumers’ Acceptability and Perception of Edible Insects as an Emerging Protein Source

Author

Listed:
  • Marta Ros-Baró

    (Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Violeida Sánchez-Socarrás

    (Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Maria Santos-Pagès

    (Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Anna Bach-Faig

    (FoodLab Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
    Unesco Chair on Food, Culture and Development, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
    Food and Nutrition Area, Barcelona Official College of Pharmacists, 08009 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Alicia Aguilar-Martínez

    (FoodLab Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
    Unesco Chair on Food, Culture and Development, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

In recent years in Western Europe, studies on entomophagy have drawn the attention of many researchers interested in identifying parameters that could improve the acceptability of insect consumption in order to introduce insects as a sustainable source of protein into the future diet. Analysing the factors involved in consumer acceptability in the Mediterranean area could help to improve their future acceptance. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an ad-hoc questionnaire in which 1034 consumers participated. The questionnaire responses allowed us to study the areas relevant to acceptance: neophobia, social norms, familiarity, experiences of consumption and knowledge of benefits. Only 13.15% of participants had tried insects. Disgust, lack of custom and food safety were the main reasons for avoiding insect consumption. Consequently, preparations with an appetising appearance need to be offered, with flours being the most accepted format. The 40–59-year-old age group was the one most willing to consume them. To introduce edible insects as food in the future, it is important to inform people about their health, environmental and economic benefits because that could increase their willingness to include them in their diet.

Suggested Citation

  • Marta Ros-Baró & Violeida Sánchez-Socarrás & Maria Santos-Pagès & Anna Bach-Faig & Alicia Aguilar-Martínez, 2022. "Consumers’ Acceptability and Perception of Edible Insects as an Emerging Protein Source," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-13, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15756-:d:985148
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15756/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15756/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jinsoo Hwang & Hyunjoon Kim & Ja Young Choe, 2020. "The Role of Eco-Friendly Edible Insect Restaurants in the Field of Sustainable Tourism," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-12, June.
    2. Sogari, Giovanni & Menozzi, Davide & Mora, Cristina, 2018. "Sensory-liking Expectations and Perceptions of Processed and Unprocessed Insect Products," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 9(4), August.
    3. Simone Belluco & A. Halloran & A. Ricci, 2017. "New protein sources and food legislation: the case of edible insects and EU law," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(4), pages 803-814, August.
    4. Marta Ros-Baró & Patricia Casas-Agustench & Diana Alícia Díaz-Rizzolo & Laura Batlle-Bayer & Ferran Adrià-Acosta & Alícia Aguilar-Martínez & Francesc-Xavier Medina & Montserrat Pujolà & Anna Bach-Faig, 2022. "Edible Insect Consumption for Human and Planetary Health: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-29, September.
    5. Lluís Serra-Majem & Laura Tomaino & Sandro Dernini & Elliot M. Berry & Denis Lairon & Joy Ngo de la Cruz & Anna Bach-Faig & Lorenzo M. Donini & Francesc-Xavier Medina & Rekia Belahsen & Suzanne Piscop, 2020. "Updating the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid towards Sustainability: Focus on Environmental Concerns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-20, November.
    6. Cristopher Siegfried Kopplin & Theresa Maria Rausch, 2022. "Above and beyond meat: the role of consumers’ dietary behavior for the purchase of plant-based food substitutes," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1335-1364, July.
    7. Heather Looy & Florence Dunkel & John Wood, 2014. "How then shall we eat? Insect-eating attitudes and sustainable foodways," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(1), pages 131-141, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. F. Xavier Medina & Francesc Fusté-Forné & Nela Filimon, 2023. "Public Awareness of Food Products, Preferences and Practices: Old Challenges and New Insights," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-3, May.
    2. Leocardia Ranga & Francesco Noci & Maria Dermiki, 2024. "Insect-Based Foods: A Preliminary Qualitative Study Exploring Factors Affecting Acceptance and New Product Development Ideas through Focus Groups," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Rafaela Flores Kuff & Thelma Lucchese-Cheung & Filipe Quevedo-Silva & Arthur Mancilla Giordani, 2023. "Building Muscles from Eating Insects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-16, November.
    4. Karolina Szulc, 2023. "Edible Insects: A Study of the Availability of Insect-Based Food in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-15, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giovanni Sogari & Diana Bogueva & Dora Marinova, 2019. "Australian Consumers’ Response to Insects as Food," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Laura Emma Milani Marin & Alessandra Cecilia Jacomuzzi, 2020. "Insects at the table: What consumers know," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 195-208.
    3. Pozharliev, Rumen & De Angelis, Matteo & Rossi, Dario & Bagozzi, Richard & Amatulli, Cesare, 2023. "I might try it: Marketing actions to reduce consumer disgust toward insect-based food," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 149-167.
    4. Carla Heloisa de Faria Domingues & João Augusto Rossi Borges & Clandio Favarini Ruviaro & Diego Gomes Freire Guidolin & Juliana Rosa Mauad Carrijo, 2020. "Understanding the factors influencing consumer willingness to accept the use of insects to feed poultry, cattle, pigs and fish in Brazil," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-11, April.
    5. Jongsik Yu & Kyeongheum Lee & Antonio Ariza-Montes & Alejandro Vega-Muñoz & Heesup Han, 2021. "How Do Air Quality Issues Caused by Particulate Matter Affect Consumers’ Emotional Response to Tourism Destinations and Willingness to Visit?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-13, October.
    6. Vanda Andrade & Stefano Quarta & Marta Tagarro & Lence Miloseva & Marika Massaro & Mihail Chervenkov & Teodora Ivanova & Rui Jorge & Viktorija Maksimova & Katarina Smilkov & Darinka Gjorgieva Ackova &, 2022. "Exploring Hedonic and Eudaimonic Items of Well-Being in Mediterranean and Non-Mediterranean Countries: Influence of Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Julien Geissmar & Thomas Niemand & Sascha Kraus, 2023. "Surprisingly unsustainable: How and when hindsight biases shape consumer evaluations of unsustainable and sustainable products," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5969-5991, December.
    8. Edwina Mingay & Melissa Hart & Serene Yoong & Alexis Hure, 2021. "Why We Eat the Way We Do: A Call to Consider Food Culture in Public Health Initiatives," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-10, November.
    9. Mohammed H. Alemu & Søren B. Olsen, 2017. "Can a Repeated Opt-Out Reminder remove hypothetical bias in discrete choice experiments? An application to consumer valuation of novel food products," IFRO Working Paper 2017/05, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    10. Valerie J. Stull & Mukata Wamulume & Mwangala I. Mwalukanga & Alisad Banda & Rachel S. Bergmans & Michael M. Bell, 2018. "“We like insects here”: entomophagy and society in a Zambian village," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(4), pages 867-883, December.
    11. Jan Dul & Sven Hauff & Ricarda B. Bouncken, 2023. "Necessary condition analysis (NCA): review of research topics and guidelines for good practice," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 683-714, February.
    12. Andreas Walter & Thomas Klammsteiner & Magdalena Gassner & Carina Desirée Heussler & Suzanne Kapelari & Markus Schermer & Heribert Insam, 2020. "Black Soldier Fly School Workshops as Means to Promote Circular Economy and Environmental Awareness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-13, November.
    13. Pambo, Kennedy O. & Okello, Julius J. & Mbeche, Robert & Kinyuru, John N., 2016. "Consumer Acceptance of Edible Insects for Non-Meat Protein in Western Kenya," 2016 Fifth International Conference, September 23-26, 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 246317, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    14. Corina Zugravu & Monica Tarcea & Mirela Nedelescu & Daniela Nuţă & Raquel P. F. Guiné & Ciprian Constantin, 2023. "Knowledge: A Factor for Acceptance of Insects as Food," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-11, March.
    15. Yuxuan Gu & Shahmir H. Ali & Sally Yan & Bengucan Gunen & Reuben Park & Lisa Poirier & Hope C. Craig & Hengjin Dong & Joel Gittelsohn, 2021. "Associations between Food Pantry Size and Distribution Method and Healthfulness of Foods Received by Clients in Baltimore City Food Pantries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-10, June.
    16. Ahmad Bathaei & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2023. "A Systematic Review of Agricultural Sustainability Indicators," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    17. Faith A. Manditsera & Catriona M. M. Lakemond & Vincenzo Fogliano & Cuthbert J. Zvidzai & Pieternel A. Luning, 2018. "Consumption patterns of edible insects in rural and urban areas of Zimbabwe: taste, nutritional value and availability are key elements for keeping the insect eating habit," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(3), pages 561-570, June.
    18. Zhuojun He & Cheng Yang & Yan Peng & Taoze Liu & Zhanghong Wang & Chengcai Xiong, 2023. "Effect of Adding De-Oiled Kitchen Water on the Bioconversion of Kitchen Waste Treatment Residue by Black Soldier Fly Larvae," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, January.
    19. Enrica Iannuzzi & Roberta Sisto & Claudio Nigro, 2019. "The willingness to consume insect-based food: an empirical research on Italian consumers," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 65(10), pages 454-462.
    20. Heather Markham Kim & Kyuhyeon Joo & Jinsoo Hwang, 2022. "Are Customers Willing to Pay More for Eco-Friendly Edible Insect Restaurants? Focusing on the Internal Environmental Locus of Control," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-15, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15756-:d:985148. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.