Insects are not typically considered food in Western society, and many would probably balk at the idea of chowing down an insect bar (though gym bros might be excited at the idea of a new low-fat source of protein). However, the participants in a recent study were actually more likely to prefer an insect protein bar over a cereal bar.
“Insect-based food, a potential solution for the escalating global food demand, faces consumer acceptance challenges in some regions,” a team wrote in the Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics study. “This article aims to understand the physiological reactions to an insect bar to assess its potential acceptance, thereby fostering the quest for sustainable food sources.”
Thirty-eight adults in Portugal aged between 18 and 55 took part in the study. None of them had ever tasted insect-based foods, and they began by taking a survey of their knowledge and thoughts regarding insect-based products. Next, the team measured their heart rate and brain activity with an electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG) while they tried an insect protein bar and a cereal bar.
The prediction was that the participants who had little awareness of insect-based foods would have a stronger physical response to the insect protein bar, and prefer the cereal bar. The researchers informed some of the participants which bar was which, though they told others that the insect bar was the cereal bar.
Heart rate and brain activity revealed that participants started paying more attention and became more engaged as they ate the insect protein bar. Heart activity also increased during the tasting, and the team read this as evidence of increased arousal and attentiveness. Interestingly, these dynamics also occurred for participants who weren’t aware that they were snacking on an insect protein bar, indicating that there was more behind the reaction than just presumptions about eating insects.
Perhaps most shocking of all, however, is that when the researchers asked the participants which food they preferred, they were overall more likely to pick the insect protein bar. That’s despite the fact that, before trying them, the participants had frequently voiced doubts or surprise when speaking about insect-based foods.
“The findings were very surprising,” Andreia Ferreira, lead author of the study and a PhD candidate at the University of Beira Interior, said in a statement. “This was really an unexpected result as literature said to us that consumers tend to reject these novel foods. The results show us the relevance of tasting experiments on promoting this new alternative.”
Furthermore, the “results highlight the need for improved communication about insect-based food and its advantages, given limited awareness,” the researchers wrote. “Still, when people are informed about it, they are more likely to accept it.”
The participants represent a relatively small sample size, among other limitations to the study, and additional research is necessary, according to the researchers. Still, the results confirm the rather basic notion that people might change their minds about unfamiliar foods after trying them. In other words, “don’t knock it till you try it.”
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