Food neophobia and disgust, but not hunger, predict willingness to eat insect protein

Due to the environmental benefits of entomophagy, a growing field of research is now investigating the factors that predict people's willingness to eat insects. In the current studies, we examined how willingness to eat insects may vary as a function of individual differences in disgust sensitivity, food neophobia, and hunger. We conducted two studies, one using a self-report measure and one using a behavioral measure of willingness to eat insects. In both studies, higher food neophobia predicted reduced willingness to eat insects. Disgust predicted lower self -reported, but not behavioral, willingness to eat insects. By contrast, hunger did not predict willingness to eat insects in either study. Our findings suggest that reducing food neophobia toward insects may be important for acceptance of entomophagy and may inform future marketing strategies that aim to encourage people to view insect protein as a viable source of nutrition.

Automated summary

The research investigates the impact of disgust sensitivity, food neophobia, and hunger on people's willingness to eat insects. It found that higher food neophobia is associated with lower willingness to eat insects. Disgust sensitivity has a negative impact on self-reported willingness to eat insects. The findings suggest that reducing food neophobia is crucial for promoting the acceptance of entomophagy.