Looking For a Healthy and Sustainable Diet Option? Try Eating Bugs.

Looking For a Healthy and Sustainable Diet Option? Try Eating Bugs.

Have you ever eaten red meat? Strawberry yogurt? Cherry jelly beans?

Then you’ve probably eaten bugs without even knowing it!

A common red dye, carmine, is made from cochineal bugs commonly found on prickly pear cactus leaves in the Western Hemisphere has been added to processed foods for many years. 

While most people in western food cultures find the thought of eating bugs “disgusting”, entomophagy (eating insects) has been common in other parts of the globe for centuries and were considered a delicacy in some ancient civilizations. “In fact, crickets were highly prized as food by the Romans, Greeks and some Middle Eastern cultures,” said San Diego State University marketing professor, Dr. Paula Peter. “But changes in regimes, evolving food consumption behaviors, and lack of supply changed the way we look at insects as edible product.” 

Soon-to-be-published research by Peter and Dr. Wided Batat, at the University of Lyon (France), have found that bugs may be making a comeback. Though there are some significant barriers to consumer acceptance, edible insects have been shown to be easily produced and high in protein, iron and other nutrients. This comes as the world’s population grows and the world’s resources shrink, making sustainable and healthy food sources increasingly more important. 

While entomophagy may be a part of healthy and sustainable diet, there is resistance to wide-spread adaptation. The most prevalent barrier to increasing insect consumption in western societies is fear and disgust. “Adverse images of people eating bugs as portrayed in the media often perpetrate a shocking and negative perception that might impact consumer attitudes,” said Peter. “For example, participants on the show Fear Factor have to consume bugs in order to win a prize, and contestants on the show Alone have to forage for their own food, leading them to hunt animals, find edible plants and eat insects.” 

Based on their research, the professors have listed several proposals that marketers and public policy makers could use to overcome these barriers and make entomophagy more attractive to the western palate. These proposals include making consumers aware of the availability and health benefits of eating insects, as well as offering edible insects in settings and brands that are familiar and acceptable. 

For example, the researchers point out that manufacturers could start combining edible insects with “familiar favorites such as turkey and chicken” and “introduce it as novel food but with western characteristics” in order to increase consumer acceptance. “In fact, some studies suggest that western consumers are more likely to consume insects if they are incorporated as processed ingredients instead of presented as whole,” noted Peter. 

The researchers have also proposed introducing edible insects into familiar brands and settings such as fast food outlets. One example of a familiar setting which has successfully marketed edible insects is T- Mobile Park (home of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners) where chili-lime toasted grasshoppers have been sold to fans since 2017. 

In conclusion, Peter and Batat have noted that even though the fear of eating insects is irrational (they’ve been a part of our diet without us even knowing it), there are still hurdles to overcome before gaining widespread acceptance. The professors have built their case explaining how the health benefits and availability of insects as a dietary supplement are numerous, therefore resistance to entomophagy could be overcome though the use of effective marketing and education campaigns showing edible insects in a positive light. “While the video of Angelina Jolie consuming bugs with her kids shows entomophagy in a positive light, it will still take more than endorsements by celebrities, influencers and chefs to promote the benefits of eating insects to people with western palates,” explained Peter. 

Note: This research was funded by the Fowler College of Business