Eating insect-based foods may be easier to stomach than consumers expect, researchers claim
For anyone on the fence about eating insect-based foods, a tasting experiment may be enough to change some minds.To discover how consumers respond to insect-based foods, researchers from the University of Beira Interior in Portugal measured the brain activity and heart rate of people while they sampled insect foods.The scientists also incorporated traditional surveys into their research.Thirty-eight adults who had never tried insect-based foods before participated in the study.
They tasted both an insect protein bar and a cereal bar while the researchers measured their physiological responses.The findings were presented at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior’s annual meeting. “The researchers expected participants to have low awareness of insect-based foods, prefer the cereal bar and show stronger physiological reactions to the insect-based product,” a news release on the study noted.“Instead, the findings revealed that people were often more curious and receptive than expected.”Some of the participants were made aware of which bar they were eating, while others were told they were eating a cereal bar, when it actually contained insects.“The physiological measurements showed that participants became more attentive and engaged while consuming the insect-based bars,” the release said.Participants’ heart rates also increased during the tasting sessions, indicating “heightened arousal and attentiveness.” This response was present even when participants didn’t know they were consuming an insect-based product.
Most participants said they preferred the insect bar over the cereal bar, the researchers found.They also determined that “curiosity and attention may outweigh initial disgust toward insect-based foods.”The findings align with previous polling that suggests Americans may be more open to insect-based foods than commonly assumed.
A 2021 YouGov survey found that 25% of Americans were willing to ingest insect ingredients, ...