Disgust, sushi consumption, and other predictors of acceptance of insects as food by Americans and Indians. (June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruby, Matthew B.; Rozin, Paul
• Is Part Of: Food quality and preference. Volume 74(2019)
• Page Start: 155
• Page End: 162
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Subjects: Attitudes -- Culture -- Entomophagy -- Morality -- Nutrition -- Sustainability; Food preferences -- Periodicals; Food -- Quality -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Quality control -- Periodicals; Préférences alimentaires -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Qualité -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Qualité -- Contrôle -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade -- Quality control; Food preferences; Food -- Quality; Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.01.013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-3293

Abstract

Highlights: Americans (82%) were more willing to try eating insects than were Indians (48%). Benefits: Agreement was highest that rearing insects has low space requirements. Risks: Agreement was highest that eating insects may cause allergic reactions. USA: Willingness to eat insects was best predicted by Disgust and Benefit beliefs. Consumption of sushi is a good predictor of insect acceptance. Abstract: Insects are an important human food source, especially in developing countries, because of their efficiency at converting plant foods into animal protein, and their relatively low environment impact. The present study builds on some prior research on eating insects by surveying Indian and American adults. A composite measure of insect acceptance is developed. The results confirm prior findings that Americans are more accepting of insects as a potential food than Indians, and that men are more accepting than women. Substantially more Indians than Americans consider insect ingestion a violation of a protected/sacred value, suggesting a moral objection. Attitudes to and beliefs about insects and insect consumption are decomposed through factor analysis into the same five factors in both countries: Benefits, Risks, Disgust, Religion, and Suffering. Multiple regression indicates that for Americans, Disgust is the major predictor, followed by Benefits. For Indians, the best predictor is Benefits, followed by Disgust and Religion. In both countries, frequency of sushi consumption (a food commonly met with disgust when it was first introduced) is also a significant and substantial predictor of insect acceptance.