1,721,008 research outputs found
Entomophagy and Italian consumers: An exploratory analysis
No full textBackground and aim of the work: the consumption of insects by humans, entomophagy, is a food practice followed by 2 billion people worldwide. However, in Western countries the majority of the population rejects the idea of adopting insects as food, predominantly for cultural reasons. This study aims to investigate the main reasons behind this in order to stimulate the consumption of edible insects in the future. Methods: the experiment involved a mixed group of Italian individuals (n=46) in terms of age and gender who tasted three species of edible insects (cricket, honeycomb moth and grasshopper) and afterwards were handed a questionnaire to explore their opinions on the subject of entomophagy. Results: the analysis shows that curiosity and environmental benefits are the most important factors in motivating the consumption of insects in the future. Furthermore, the majority of respondents stated that entomophagy would not be endorsed and supported by family and/or friends. Conclusions: although the results of this study are exploratory, it seems that other peoples negative opinions might represent a significant barrier to introducing edible insects to the Western diet. For the moment, it is difficult to predict whether edible insects will become the "food of the future"
Edible insects as foods: mapping scientific publications and product launches in the global market (1996-2021)
No full textEdible insects are gaining interest for their health and environmental merits as human food. Within this framework, the main objectives of this research are to fill the gap between market trends and scientific research about the status of edible insects in foods, suggest a roadmap for future research and boost product launches. For these reasons, an attempt has been made to review the progress of scientific documents related to edible insect foods and to detect the prominent trends in insect-based foods during the period 1996-2021. By putting the findings of these searches together, we were able to observe that scientific publications have increased exponentially since 2015 – similar to product launches but at a higher speed. Europe was found to be the most prolific region in terms of publications and food product numbers due to increased awareness of the benefits of insects. Market data offered insights into the main selling countries, food applications and insect ingredients. In the future, food formulators will still have to find innovative solutions to offer insect-based foods with pleasant flavours and textures and, in turn, contribute to healthy and sustainable gastronomy. Ensuring safety and setting a clear legislative framework will further organise the sector and thus boost edible insects as a future food commodity
Cross-cultural consumer valuation of precision fermentation milk: Effects of information, individual traits, and labelling preferences
No full textThe adoption of alternative protein sources, including precision fermentation (PF) milk, emerges as a key strategy for sustainably nourishing a growing population, offering a viable alternative to conventional dairy production. This study investigates how different information framing, on animal welfare, health, and environmental benefits, affects consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for PF milk in Denmark (DK), Italy (IT), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Using a choice experiment (CE) that examined milk products varying on several attributes, namely type of milk technology, animal welfare information, protein type, Carbon Trust label, and price, we found that consumers generally exhibited reluctance towards PF milk. This reluctance varied by country, the type of benefits provided, and consumer traits. Additionally, latent class analysis identified three consistent consumer segments across all countries, strong traditionalists with strong preferences for conventional cow milk, light traditionalists open to alternatives but price-sensitive, and a third group with inconsistent (random) choices, highlighting both commonalities and cross-country differences in responses to PF milk. Consumer preferences for policy labelling of PF dairy products vary by country, with the US and Italy exhibiting a higher preference for these new products labelled similarly to conventional dairy products. These findings offer valuable directions for effectively communicating the benefits of PF milk products across different cultural contexts. They highlight key marketing strategies for differentiation and competition in a market crowded with conventional dairy and plant-based options. Finally, they underscore important strategic and policy implications for future labelling and regulations of PF milk
Exploring the attitude towards the adoption of a sustainable diet: a cross-country comparison
Full text linkPurpose: Understanding the determinants that influence consumers' attitude to adopt sustainable diets represents an important area of research to promote sustainable food consumption. The aim of this study is to investigate how (1) the individual openness to new foods (ONFs), (2) the involvement in food trends (IFTs) and (3) the social media use (SMU) can potentially impact the attitude towards the adoption of a sustainable diet (ATSD). Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a structured survey in eight countries: Italy, Germany, Poland, USA, Brazil, Japan, Korea and China. The final sample of 5,501 individuals was analysed applying a structural equation model. Findings: The main results show that attitude towards the ATSD is influenced differently by the antecedents investigated in each country. In particular, the ONF positively influences the ATSD only in Italy, USA and Germany. IFT positively influences the ATSD only in Italy, Poland and USA, while negatively in Germany. SMU has a positive influence on the ATSD only in Japan, USA and Germany, while a negative one in Brazil and Korea. Originality/value: This study presents a cross-country comparison about the antecedents of attitude towards the ATSD, thus providing evidence for the need of ad hoc marketing strategies by companies and policies by institutions at single country level
Do plant-based and blend meat alternatives taste like meat? A combined sensory and choice experiment study
No full textWe conducted a combined sensory and discrete choice experiment study with a 100% beef burger, a plant-based burger using pea protein, a plant-based burger using animal-like protein, and a blended burger with 70% beef and 30% mushroom involving US consumers. Respondents were either assigned to a blind or an informed tasting condition with information about the ingredients before tasting the burgers. Results reveal that (i) beef burgers are preferred over alternatives, (ii) consumers favor blended burgers over alternatives in the blind condition but demand decreases in the informed condition; (iii) consumers prefer the plant-based burger with animal-like protein over the one with pea protein
Is nut consumption related to a sustainable diet? A pilot study on italian male consumers
Full text link(1) Background: In recent years, the EAT-Lancet Commission has suggested the inclusion of nuts among proteins from vegetable sources, but this inclusion would imply a higher consumption of nuts compared with a healthy Mediterranean diet. (2) Objective: In this work, we sought to provide a comparison between the macronutrient intakes and environmental impacts of two different types of diet: a diet including nuts and a diet without nuts. (3) Methods: In this pilot study, we recruited 89 Italians divided into two groups: nut consumers (44 individuals) and non-consumers (45 individuals). Food consumption was monitored by a seven-day diary, while the Mediterranean diet scores, habitual physical activity scores, and orthorexia nervosa scores were evaluated through standardized questionnaires. (4) Results: We found that nut consumers had higher physical activity and energy intake levels. High consumption of fat (p < 0.001) and protein (p < 0.001) was observed among nut consumers compared with the levels observed among non-consumers. Moreover, a higher environmental impact of total dietary intake was observed among nut consumers, in terms of carbon (p < 0.05) and land (p < 0.05) footprints; impacts on the water footprint was almost significant (p = 0.06). (5) Conclusions: We suggest that, among plant food proteins, the consumption of complementary proteins from legumes and cereals should be preferred to the consumption of proteins from nuts
The potential role of insects as feed: A multi-perspective review
No full textRecently, insects have received increased attention as an important source of sustainable raw materials for animal feed, especially in fish, poultry, and swine. In particular, the most promising species are represented by the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, HI), the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor, TM), and the common house fly (Musca domestica, MD). Although rapid development is expected, insects remain underutilized in the animal feed industry mainly due to technical, financial, and regulatory barriers. In addition, few works have analyzed consumer and stakeholder points of view towards the use of insects as animal feed. In this article, we summarize the main findings of this body of research and provide a discussion of consumer studies regarding the consumption of animals fed with insects. Our review suggests that consumer acceptance will not be a barrier towards the development of this novel protein industry. Furthermore, we conclude that it will be of interest to understand whether the use of this more sustainable feed source might increase consumer willingness to pay for animal products fed with insects and whether the overall acceptability, from a sensory point of view, will be perceived better than conventional products. Finally, the main challenges of the feed farming industry are addressed
Consumer perception of and involvement in healthy and sustainable eating: A cross-sectional study with American consumers
Full text linkGlobal rising concerns about non-communicable diseases and the environmental impact of food production require a call for action that involves a deeper understanding of how individuals make choices for healthy and sustainable diets. To further explore this topic, our study aimed at investigating how food involvement, perception, and sociodemographic factors influence the adoption of healthy and sustainable eating by using a socio-psychological model. Data were collected from a representative sample (n = 1001) of the US population using an online survey and linear regression models were employed to test the hypotheses of our theoretical framework. The main findings indicated a positive influence of involvement in and perception of self-reported behaviors towards both sustainable and healthy eating. However, contrasting results were identified for the moderating role of perception, which had a significant and positive moderating effect between involvement and self-reported eating for sustainable diets only. Regarding sociodemographic characteristics affecting healthy dietary behaviors, our model suggested that age, employment status, dietary regimen, and BMI influence consumers’ self-reported healthy behaviors. Based on our findings, tailored strategies for policymakers and marketers are suggested. These strategies include education campaigns, widespread availability of sustainable products, and easily identifiable labeling systems
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