Entomophagy: A contribution to the understanding of consumer intention

In recent years, many scholars pointed out edible insects as an excellent source of protein and fat, both in terms of efficiency and sustainability. In addition, there is a growing interest of the business world and academia towards the topic, and it is feasible to hypothesize that edible insects can become a consumption trend in the next future. In addition, indirect entomophagy (i.e., eating animals fed with insects) seem one of the most promising paths for reducing the ecological footprint of livestock. Many studies tried to identify the psychological barriers of Western consumers against the eating of insects, but there is a lack of research on how neophobia and disgust contribute to explain this aversion towards direct and indirect entomophagy. The aim of the present study is to understand how Westerners intention of eating insects changes accordingly to different visual stimuli and to highlight the role of neophobia and disgust in influencing intention to eat different insect-based foods. Results show that, whereas disgust seem more involved as regards the aversion towards raw insects, food neophobia may perform better in predicting the acceptance of processed insects and indirect entomophagy.