Consumer insight and agro-engineering perspectives on acceptance of novel cricket protein-based food products

This study investigates consumer acceptance of a novel food innovation—French fries enriched with cricket protein—as a response to rising demand for sustainable protein alternatives in Thailand. The research integrates consumer insight, product design, and agro-engineering perspectives to examine structural drivers of preference formation. A full factorial (2³) orthogonal conjoint design was employed with 170 consumers in the Bangkok metropolitan area who had prior experience consuming French fries. Three key product attributes were evaluated: (1) sensory characteristics (delicious taste vs. natural aroma), (2) packaging style (aesthetic design vs. explicit insect protein labeling), and (3) health positioning (high-protein vs. low-sodium). Profile differences were statistically validated using one-way repeated-measures ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc comparisons. Protein enhancement positioning emerged as the strongest structural driver of consumer preference, indicating a large effect size in profile evaluations. Packaging and sensory attributes contributed meaningfully but remained secondary to nutritional enhancement cues. Although selected demographic variables—particularly occupation and age—demonstrated statistically significant effects, these influences were comparatively smaller than the structural impact of attribute configuration. Consumer acceptance of cricket protein–based French fries is primarily anchored in performance-oriented nutritional positioning rather than sodium-reduction framing or demographic segmentation. Structural attribute optimization plays a more decisive role in preference formation than background characteristics. For food innovators and agro-processors, emphasizing protein enhancement alongside favorable sensory and packaging cues may strengthen market readiness. Integrating empirically validated consumer priorities into product development can support commercialization of alternative protein innovations within Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy framework.