Studying the Emotional Response to Insects Food Products

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Consumer Psychology
• Sustainable Food Systems

Background:

• Insects are promoted as a sustainable food source due to environmental, nutritional, and socioeconomic advantages.
• Western cultural perceptions often associate insects with disgust, hindering acceptance of entomophagy.
• Understanding consumer emotional responses is crucial for developing insect-based food products for the US market.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate consumer acceptance of insect-based food products in the US market.
• To analyze the emotional responses elicited by insect-based foods.
• To determine the impact of sustainability information on consumer perceptions.

Main Methods:

• A survey of 826 US consumers was conducted.
• Utilized a modified EsSense Profile® questionnaire to assess emotional responses to food images.
• Evaluated the influence of visible vs. non-visible insects and sustainability information on attitudes.

Main Results:

• Disgust emerged as a primary barrier to the acceptance of insect-based food products.
• Insect foods elicited positive emotions such as interest, understanding, daring, and adventurousness.
• Negative emotions included satisfied, good, pleasant, happy, calm, warm, nostalgic, and secure.
• The impact of sustainability information on emotional response was complex and requires further consideration.

Conclusions:

• Emotional responses, particularly disgust, significantly influence the acceptance of insect-based foods.
• Positive emotions like interest and adventurousness suggest potential for niche markets.
• Marketing strategies must carefully address the negative emotional associations with insects to improve market penetration.