What's eating North America's edible insect industry? An examination of psychological, cultural and regulatory barriers

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Christl Li ◽  
Sean B. Cash ◽  
Julie Lesnik ◽  
Timothy S. Griffin ◽  
Joel Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
The Us ◽  
Structural Barrier ◽  
Regulatory Barriers ◽  
Specific Regulation

Abstract Although research has demonstrated the positive nutritional value and environmental benefits associated with edible insect consumption, several factors challenge the growth and development of the edible insect industry for human consumption in the US and Canada. Cultural and psychological factors account for much of the aversion US and Canadian consumers display. The absence of specific regulation also constitutes a structural barrier to more widespread production and sale of edible insects. Compared to the US, the European Union has a more developed edible insect industry and has enacted legislation that removes some of the barriers. As consumer awareness of the putative health benefits of edible insects increases, more comprehensive regulations may emerge to keep pace with the growth of this industry. Overall, a multi-disciplinary approach that addresses both benefits and barriers to consumption is needed to facilitate a robust market for edible insects in the US and Canada.

scholarly journals Consumers’ Attitudes Facing Entomophagy: Polish Case Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Orkusz ◽  
Wioletta Wolańska ◽  
Joanna Harasym ◽  
Arkadiusz Piwowar ◽  
Magdalena Kapelko
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Psychological Barriers ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Meat Substitute ◽  
Willingness To Adopt ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Insects As Food

Based on high nutritional value and low production costs, edible insects are an excellent and sustainable source of animal proteins. However, completely replacing meat with edible insects requires a change in consumer mentality not only in Poland, but also in other European countries. In western countries, most people reject eating insects, mainly for cultural reasons. Concerning this, the objective of the study was to examine the knowledge, behavior, and attitudes of the Polish community about edible insects and to understand the main factors driving edible insect consumption. The study was held at the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Poland and consisted of two parts: The survey (among 464 students) and the tasting session (among 402 participants). The main findings suggest that there is low willingness to adopt edible insects as a meat substitute among Polish students due to the psychological barriers, such as neophobia and disgust. However, the willingness to eat processed insect food (bread, biscuit) is far higher than for unprocessed whole insects. Environmental benefits are the factors that least affected students’ willingness to try edible insects. Additionally, the tasting session of the bread with powdered insects was attended by the vast majority of participants, which indicates that a positive sensory experience can improve the acceptability of insects as food.

Could new information influence attitudes to foods supplemented with edible insects?

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (9) ◽  
pp. 2027-2039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanny Barsics ◽  
Rudy Caparros Megido ◽  
Yves Brostaux ◽  
Catherine Barsics ◽  
Christophe Blecker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Information Session ◽  
Organoleptic Characteristics ◽  
New Information ◽  
Gender Information ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Broader acceptance of entomophagy (i.e. human consumption of insects) will depend on factors that impact consumers’ perceptions of edible insects. The purpose of this paper is to examine how a broad-based information session would affect consumers’ perceptions and attitudes about an edible insect product. Design/methodology/approach During a taste testing session, preceded or followed by an information session about entomophagy, participants rated the organoleptic characteristics of two bread samples on nine-point hedonic scales. The two bread samples were identical, though one was faux-labelled as containing an insect product. Findings Generalised linear model (GLM) analysis showed effects of gender, information session exposure, entomophagy familiarity, and entomophagy experience on participants’ ratings of the samples. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney ranked sum tests showed that appearance, flavour, and overall liking were significantly better rated for the bread sample labelled as insect free by participants who attended the presentation a priori. Potential ways to improve information content and delivery in favour of encouraging dietary shifts are discussed. Practical implications This study shows that information about insect-based products could change consumers’ perceptions of such products. The results provide clues regarding how the food industry can adapt communication for target audiences. Originality/value Actual edible insect products were not used in this study. Paradoxically, it is the first to show the impact of an information session on the acceptability of edible insect products, by revealing participants’ perceptual expectations.

scholarly journals ‘Minilivestock’ farming: Who is farming edible insects in Europe and North America?

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhoda M Wilkie
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Mass Rear ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Exotic Pets

An innovative food sector is emerging in North America and Europe: edible insects. Eating insects is not new; farming insects for human consumption is novel. This article provides an overview of entomophagy to contextualise this upsurge in ‘minilivestock’ farming. It also charts the rise of ‘feeder’ insect farms, because their ability to mass rear invertebrates – for exotic pets, reptiles and other insectivores – is of much interest to those starting and intensifying edible insect farms. A descriptive characterisation of frontier farmers will be provided by preliminary profile findings from 17 semi-structured pilot interviews with people with varying experience of rearing feeder and/or food insects. Since conventional livestock workers were the ‘forgotten pillar’ in agricultural research, this article affords timely insights into the socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle interests and farming experiences of ‘entopreneurs’ shaping this new ‘insect industry’.

scholarly journals Edible Insects versus Meat—Nutritional Comparison: Knowledge of Their Composition Is the Key to Good Health

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1207
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Orkusz
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Atherogenic Index ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Thrombogenic Index

Recently, attention has been drawn to the fact that increasing the consumption of edible insects may positively impact the state of the natural environment and reduce the problem of malnutrition in large parts of society. Indeed, insects are seen as an alternative to traditional meat products, primarily meat. This article aimed to compare the nutritional value of edible insects and meat. Based on tables of composition and nutritional value and on the licensed computer program Diet 6D, data on the nutritional value of 10 commonly consumed meat types were compiled. Based on a literature review, data on the nutritional value of seven commercially available edible insect species were collected and collated. There was a comparison of 100 g of edible insects with 100 g of meat (fresh weight). In addition, the atherogenic index thrombogenic index, the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio, and the nutritional quality index were calculated. It was found that both meat and insects are rich in nutrients, including those considered essential for the proper development and functioning of the human body. At the same time, it has been shown that the content of individual nutrients in both insects and meat varies significantly.

Understanding Edible Insects as Food in Western and Eastern Societies

2019 ◽  
pp. 166-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Sogari ◽  
Aijun Liu ◽  
Jie Li
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Protein Source ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Alternative Protein ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Insects As Food

In the forthcoming decades, insects might become an important alternative protein source for human consumption. However, what do consumers think about eating insects? The answer is still not very clear, and large differences exist between Western and Eastern societies. While the former has never really experienced edible insects as food, (some) Eastern countries have already practiced entomophagy for a long time. To better understand consumers' perception in both types of societies, a literature review was carried out. The results show that in the Western countries, the consumption of edible insects will depend primarily on availability in the market (i.e., regulatory framework and industry), product category (i.e., processed or unprocessed, familiar or unfamiliar), communication, and marketing. Nonetheless, more research studies are needed to explore Eastern consumers and the development of the edible insect market and industry in Asian countries.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review on Viruses in Mass-Reared Edible Insect Species

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2280
Author(s):  
Michela Bertola ◽  
Franco Mutinelli
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
Western World ◽  
Virus Species ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Edible Insect

Edible insects are expected to become an important nutrient source for animals and humans in the Western world in the near future. Only a few studies on viruses in edible insects with potential for industrial rearing have been published and concern only some edible insect species. Viral pathogens that can infect insects could be non-pathogenic, or pathogenic to the insects themselves, or to humans and animals. The objective of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the viruses detected in edible insects currently considered for use in food and/or feed in the European Union or appropriate for mass rearing, and to collect information on clinical symptoms in insects and on the vector role of insects themselves. Many different virus species have been detected in edible insect species showing promise for mass production systems. These viruses could be a risk for mass insect rearing systems causing acute high mortality, a drastic decline in growth in juvenile stages and in the reproductive performance of adults. Furthermore, some viruses could pose a risk to human and animal health where insects are used for food and feed.

Preventive Debt Restructuring and the Nigerian Draft Insolvency Legislation: Lessons from a Comparative Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-84
Author(s):  
Sanford U. Mba
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Debt Restructuring ◽  
The Us ◽  
Financially Distressed ◽  
Bankruptcy Code ◽  
Second Chance

Recently, the Nigerian Senate passed the Bankruptcy and Insolvency (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill. This is no doubt a welcome development following the continued demand by insolvency practitioners, academics and other stakeholders for such legislation. The call has not only been for the enactment of just about any legislation, but (consistent with the economic challenges faced by businesses in the country), one that is favourably disposed to the successful restructuring of financially distressed businesses, allowing them to weather the storm of (impending) insolvency, emerge from it and continue to operate within the economy. This article seeks to situate this draft legislative instrument within the present wave of preventive restructuring ably espoused in the European Union Recommendation on New Approaches to Business Rescue and to Give Entrepreneurs a Second Chance (2014), which itself draws largely from Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. The article draws a parallel between the economic crisis that gave rise to the preventive restructuring approach of the Recommendation and the present economic situation in Nigeria; it then examines the chances of such restructuring under the Nigerian draft bankruptcy and insolvency legislation. It argues in the final analysis that the draft legislation does not provide for a prophylactic recourse regime for financially distressed businesses. Consequently, a case is made for such an approach.

Edible insects and their acceptance in Western Societies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pijus Jauniskis ◽  
Eleni Michopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Development ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Insect Development ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Tourism Product ◽  
Tourism Experience ◽  
Cultural Sphere ◽  
Self Discovery ◽  
Tourism And Hospitality

This paper examines current literature on edible insect consumption in western culture through an inductive lens, addressing environmental, nutritional, food security, anthropological and psychological aspects of the topic. Findings show that western aversion towards edible insects is deeply psychological and cultural, mostly ignoring the pleasure dimensions such as taste, texture and flavour. The nature of the problem appears to be predominantly social. Results suggest that a beneficial route of introducing edible insects into the western diet could be formed through a societal perspective. Tourism and hospitality can potentially play a big part in the edible insect development. For instance, food as a tourism product can attract visitors from different backgrounds whilst food consumption as a tourism experience subliminally promises an experience of novelty and potential newfound pleasure in food. Food as an integral part of various cultures and local heritages entails local dishes that can be considered ‘cultural artifacts’ and their consumption symbolises the consumption of ‘other’. Tourism experiences can expose an individual to lasting personal change, self-discovery and intellectual development. Hence, taking into consideration that acquiring new cultural knowledge increases openness to experience, it is possible that tourism could contribute to adopting the practice of insect consumption in the western cultural sphere.

Insect Allergens on the Dining Table

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoung Yong Jeong ◽  
Jung-Won Park
Keyword(s):  
Food Processing ◽  
Adverse Reactions ◽  
Arginine Kinase ◽  
House Dust Mites ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Dust Mites ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Respiratory Allergies ◽  
Inhalant Allergens

Edible insects are important sources of nutrition, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Recently, edible insects have gained considerable interest as a possible solution to global exhaustion of the food supply with population growth. However, little attention has been given to the adverse reactions caused by insect consumption. Here, we provide an overview of the food allergens in edible insects and offer insights for further studies. Most of the edible insect allergens identified to date are highly cross-reactive invertebrate pan-allergens such as tropomyosin and arginine kinase. Allergic reactions to these allergens may be cross-reactions resulting from sensitization to shellfish and/or house dust mites. No unique insect allergen specifically eliciting a food allergy has been described. Many of the edible insect allergens described thus far have counterpart allergens in cockroaches, which are an important cause of respiratory allergies, but it is questionable whether inhalant allergens can cause food allergies. Greater effort is needed to characterize the allergens that are unique to edible insects so that safe edible insects can be developed. The changes in insect proteins upon food processing or cooking should also be examined to enhance our understanding of edible insect food allergies.

Anti-System Politics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Hopkin
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Approach ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Us ◽  
Long Term Result ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Dramatic Shift ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Right

Recent elections in the advanced Western democracies have undermined the basic foundations of political systems that had previously beaten back all challenges—from both the Left and the Right. The election of Donald Trump to the US presidency, only months after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, signaled a dramatic shift in the politics of the rich democracies. This book traces the evolution of this shift and argues that it is a long-term result of abandoning the postwar model of egalitarian capitalism in the 1970s. That shift entailed weakening the democratic process in favor of an opaque, technocratic form of governance that allows voters little opportunity to influence policy. With the financial crisis of the late 2000s, these arrangements became unsustainable, as incumbent politicians were unable to provide solutions to economic hardship. Electorates demanded change, and it had to come from outside the system. Using a comparative approach, the text explains why different kinds of anti-system politics emerge in different countries and how political and economic factors impact the degree of electoral instability that emerges. Finally, it discusses the implications of these changes, arguing that the only way for mainstream political forces to survive is for them to embrace a more activist role for government in protecting societies from economic turbulence.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document