Edible Insects as Human Food: Perceptions of Individuals from Six Countries

< 0.05) between the clusters in practically all sociodemographic and consumption variables studied. Finally, a word analysis of the 2263 words indicated by the participants when thinking about EIs revealed that the most frequent words were 'disgusting', 'protein', and 'nutritive' in all three clusters. However, differences were observed after the fourth position in the list of most frequent words. In conclusion, these results indicate that perceptions of EIs were highly variable across countries of origin and other sociodemographic groups, and that, globally, participants exhibited some neophobia towards EIs. However, they recognised their value in terms of nutrition, particularly protein. This work evidences some relevant aspects that can be useful to adapt and define targeted policies to demystify the negative perceptions about EIs and improve consumer acceptance, thus contributing to more sustainable food systems.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Insects
Published
2026-04-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17040434
Primary Topic
Insect Utilization and Effects
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Edible Insects as Human Food: Perceptions of Individuals from Six Countries

Monica Tarcea, Lucio Rodríguez‐Sifuentes, Nada Mallah Boustani, Marijana Matek Sarić et al.
Insects
Insect Utilization and Effects
article

Edible Insects as Human Food: Perceptions of Individuals from Six Countries

Monica Tarcea, Lucio Rodríguez‐Sifuentes, Nada Mallah Boustani, Marijana Matek Sarić, Sofia G. Florença, Anayansi Escalante‐Aburto, César Ozuna, Simona Pârvu, Elena Bartkienė, Rosa María Mariscal‐Moreno, Cristina Filip, Raquel P.F. GUINÉ, Cristina Chuck-Hernandez
article en

Abstract

< 0.05) between the clusters in practically all sociodemographic and consumption variables studied. Finally, a word analysis of the 2263 words indicated by the participants when thinking about EIs revealed that the most frequent words were 'disgusting', 'protein', and 'nutritive' in all three clusters. However, differences were observed after the fourth position in the list of most frequent words. In conclusion, these results indicate that perceptions of EIs were highly variable across countries of origin and other sociodemographic groups, and that, globally, participants exhibited some neophobia towards EIs. However, they recognised their value in terms of nutrition, particularly protein. This work evidences some relevant aspects that can be useful to adapt and define targeted policies to demystify the negative perceptions about EIs and improve consumer acceptance, thus contributing to more sustainable food systems.

InsectsVol. 17(4)
Universidad de Guanajuato (MX), Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LT), Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy (RO), Saint Joseph University (LB), Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila (MX), Universidad Iberoamericana (MX), Universitatea de Medicină, Farmacie, Științe și Tehnologie „George Emil Palade” din Târgu Mureș (RO), Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Irapuato (MX), Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (PT), University of Zadar (HR), Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (PT), Tecnológico de Monterrey (MX)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 18%
Insect Utilization and Effects
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.