Acceptance of Insect-Containing Foods: A Pilot Study Exploring the Use of Insects as a Meat Alternative

Entomophagy is currently increasing in popularity due to its potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional meat. However, acceptability of entomophagy amongst European consumers is still low. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the acceptability of insect burgers (relative to plant and beef burgers) amongst consumers in Ireland through an affective sensory test. A total of 29 naïve consumers participated in a blind liking test which was conducted in isolated sensory booths. The beef burger received the highest overall liking score (7.03 ± 1.84) followed by the plant (6.31 ± 1.69) and lastly the insect burger (6.24 ± 1.66). Qualitative findings, however, revealed that the most negative comments were made for the plant burger. Participants’ meat attachment and perception of entomophagy had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the acceptance of the insect burgers. The lower the meat attachment and the more positive participants’ entomophagy perception was, the more inclined they were to accept the insect burger. The taste, texture, and appearance of the burgers also significantly affected participants’ overall liking of them. Future interventions should focus on improving the sensory attributes of insect-containing foods and expanding the study to a representative sample of the population.