Hostname: page-component-cc8bf7c57-7lvjp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-12T06:02:22.321Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2021

Christl Li
Affiliation:
Division of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA02111, USA
Sean B. Cash
Affiliation:
Division of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA02111, USA
Julie Lesnik
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI48202, USA
Timothy S. Griffin
Affiliation:
Division of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA02111, USA
Joel Mason
Affiliation:
Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA02111, USA USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA02111,USA
Nicole Tichenor Blackstone*
Affiliation:
Division of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA02111, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, E-mail: nicole.blackstone@tufts.edu

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.

Type
Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arppe, T, Niva, M and Jallinoja, P (2020) The emergence of the Finnish edible insect arena: the dynamics of an ‘active obstacle’. Geoforum; Journal of Physical, Human, and Regional Geosciences 108, 227236.Google Scholar
Baiano, A (2020) Edible insects: an overview on nutritional characteristics, safety, farming, production technologies, regulatory framework, and socio-economic and ethical implications. Trends in Food Science & Technology 100, 3550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Belluco, S, Halloran, A and Ricci, A (2017) New protein sources and food legislation: the case of edible insects and EU law. Food Security 9, 803814.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boyd, MC (2017) Cricket soup: a critical examination of the regulation of insects as food. Yale Law & Policy Review 36, 17.Google Scholar
Caparros Megido, R, Gierts, C, Blecker, C, Brostaux, Y, Haubruge, É, Alabi, T and Francis, F (2016) Consumer acceptance of insect-based alternative meat products in western countries. Food Quality and Preference 52, 237243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Charlebois, S (2018) Why Canada Wants You to Know You're Eating Crickets. Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-canada-wants-you-to-know-eating-crickets-180968539/.Google Scholar
Collins, CM, Vaskou, P and Kountouris, Y (2019) Insect food products in the western world: assessing the potential of a new ‘green’ market. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 112, 518528.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deroy, O, Reade, B and Spence, C (2015) The insectivore's dilemma, and how to take the west out of it. Food Quality and Preference 44, 4455.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Einstein-Curtis, A (2018) North America: Insect-focused coalition looks to expand feed use for bugs. Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://www.feednavigator.com/Article/2018/03/23/North-America-Insect-focused-coalition-looks-to-expand-feed-use-for-bugs.Google Scholar
European Commision (2021) Approval of first insect as Novel Food. Retrieved May 14, 2021, from https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/novel_food/authorisations/approval-first-insect-novel-food_en.Google Scholar
European Parliament; Council of the European Union (1997) Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31997R0258:en:HTML.Google Scholar
Finke, MD, Defoliart, GR and Benevenga, NJ (1989) Use of a 4-parameter logistic model to evaluate the quality of the protein from 3 insect species when fed to rats. Journal of Nutrition 119, 864871.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glanz, K, Basil, M, Maibach, E, Goldberg, J and Snyder, DAN (1998) Why Americans eat what they do: taste, nutrition, cost, convenience, and weight control concerns as influences on food consumption. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 98, 11181126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Halloran, A, Vantomme, P, Hanboonsong, Y and Ekesi, S (2015) Regulating edible insects: the challenge of addressing food security, nature conservation, and the erosion of traditional food culture. Food Security 7, 739746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
House, J (2016) Consumer acceptance of insect-based foods in the Netherlands: academic and commercial implications. Appetite 107, 4758.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (2019) Insects as novel foods – an overview. Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://ipiff.org/insects-novel-food-eu-legislation/#question3.Google Scholar
La Barbera, F, Verneau, F, Amato, M and Grunert, K (2018) Understanding westerners’ disgust for the eating of insects: the role of food neophobia and implicit associations. Food Quality and Preference 64, 120125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lahteenmaki-Uutela, A, Henault-Ethier, L, Marimuthu, SB, Talibov, S, Allen, RN, Nemane, V, Vandenberg, GW and Jozefiak, D (2018) The impact of the insect regulatory system on the insect marketing system. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed 4, 187198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lensvelt, EJ and Steenbekkers, L (2014) Exploring consumer acceptance of entomophagy: a survey and experiment in Australia and the Netherlands. Ecology of food and nutrition 53, 543561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lesnik, JJ (2018) Edible Insects and Human Evolution. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida.Google Scholar
Lombardi, A, Vecchio, R, Borrello, M, Caracciolo, F and Cembalo, L (2019) Willingness to pay for insect-based food: the role of information and carrier. Food Quality and Preference 72, 177187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marberg, A, van Kranenburg, H and Korzilius, H (2017) The big bug: the legitimation of the edible insect sector in the Netherlands. Food Policy 71, 111123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martins, Y and Pliner, P (2006) “Ugh! that's disgusting!”: identification of the characteristics of foods underlying rejections based on disgust. Appetite 46, 7585.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Orkusz, A, Wolanska, W, Harasym, J, Piwowar, A and Kapelko, M (2020) Consumers' attitudes facing entomophagy: Polish case perspectives. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, 2427.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pelchat, ML and Pliner, P (1995) Try it. You'll like it.” effects of information on willingness to try novel foods. Appetite 24, 153165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pliner, P and Salvy, SJ (2006) Food neophobia in humans. In Psychology of Food Choice. Wallingford, UK: CAB International, pp. 7592.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rozin, P and Fallon, AE (1987) A perspective on disgust. Psychological Review 94, 2341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruby, MB, Rozin, P and Chan, C (2015) Determinants of willingness to eat insects in the USA and India. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed 1, 215225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rumpold, BA and Schluter, OK (2013) Potential and challenges of insects as an innovative source for food and feed production. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies 17, 111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shelomi, M (2015) Why we still don't eat insects: assessing entomophagy promotion through a diffusion of innovations framework. Trends in Food Science & Technology 45, 311318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Southey, F (2020) Whole insects do not fall under old Novel Food regulation, rules EU Court of Justice. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/10/20/Whole-insects-do-not-fall-under-old-Novel-Food-regulation-rules-EU-Court-of-Justice.Google Scholar
Tan, HSG, Fischer, AR, van Trijp, HC and Stieger, M (2016) Tasty but nasty? Exploring the role of sensory-liking and food appropriateness in the willingness to eat unusual novel foods like insects. Food Quality and Preference 48, 293302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2018) Food Defect Levels Handbook. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredients-additives-gras-packaging-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-defect-levels-handbook.Google Scholar
Van Huis, A (2015) Edible insects contributing to food security? Agriculture & Food Security 4, 19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Huis, A (2020) Insects as food and feed, a new emerging agricultural sector: a review. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed 6, 2744.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Huis, A, Itterbeeck, J, Klunder, H, Mertens, E, Halloran, A, Muir, G and Vantomme, P (2013) EDIBLE INSECTS future prospects for food and feed security.Google Scholar
Wilkinson, K, Muhlhausler, B, Motley, C, Crump, A, Bray, H and Ankeny, R (2018) Australian consumers’ awareness and acceptance of insects as food. Insects 9, 44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Woolf, E, Zhu, Y, Emory, K, Zhao, J and Liu, C (2019) Willingness to consume insect-containing foods: a survey in the United States. Lwt 102, 100105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar