The Consumption of Insects in Switzerland: University-Based Perspectives of Entomophagy

Penedo, Aline Oliveira; Bucher Della Torre, Sophie; Götze, Franziska; Brunner, Thomas; Brück, Wolfram Manuel (2022). The Consumption of Insects in Switzerland: University-Based Perspectives of Entomophagy Foods, 11(18), p. 2771. MDPI 10.3390/foods11182771

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Although insects have long been part of the human diet in many countries, they are poorly received and accepted in European and North American countries. Therefore, this cross-sectional observational study, based on a structured questionnaire, aimed to evaluate the level of acceptability of entomophagy among young adults in a Swiss university context. The variable “acceptability of consuming insects” (ACI) was calculated according to the perception of entomophagy of each participant. The ACI was related to various socio-demographic and behavioral aspects. A total of 290 responses were validated and analyzed. The mean ACI score was 3.7 out of 6.0 (SD 1.1). Most participants responded that the most likely reason for eating insect foods was curiosity. The most common reason for not eating such foods was disgust. None of the socio-demographic variables showed a significant association with ACI. Generally, participants in this study showed a potential interest in entomophagy—on a theoretical level, as measured here by the ACI. In practice, however, there are still barriers, including disgust, which contribute to the low consumption of these foods, at least in Switzerland.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL > Consumer-focused Food Production > Consumer Behaviour
Name:	Penedo, Aline Oliveira; Bucher Della Torre, Sophie; Götze, Franziska0000-0001-9022-0880; Brunner, Thomas0000-0002-6770-6548 and Brück, Wolfram Manuel
ISSN:	2304-8158
Publisher:	MDPI
Language:	English
Submitter:	Thomas Brunner
Date Deposited:	16 Nov 2022 11:13
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2022 11:13
Publisher DOI:	10.3390/foods11182771
Uncontrolled Keywords:	insects; entomophagy; consumer acceptance; sustainable foods
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.17964
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/17964