{"title":"Consumer Perceptions and Acceptance of Edible Insects in Slovenia.","authors":"Nayyer Rehman, Nives Ogrinc","doi":"10.3390/foods13162629","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Slovenia, influenced by Slavic, Mediterranean, and Balkan cultures, along with Austro-Hungarian traditions and strong environmental concerns, is an ideal case study for understanding consumer perceptions of edible insects and increasing their acceptance as an alternative protein source. A survey conducted in Slovenian and English with 537 participants examined existing perceptions and acceptance of edible insects as food and livestock feed. Findings show moderate interest in insects, particularly in non-visible, integrated forms, despite most participants not having tried whole insects. Young, educated individuals and those residing in rural areas have tried insects more often than other sociodemographic groups. Men showed more interest in entomophagy compared to women. Crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts were most acceptable, while cockroaches were least favored. Economic factors are crucial, with a preference for insect-based products priced similarly to conventional foods. The majority also support using insects as livestock feed. These results can aid policymakers at regional and national levels, help businesses market these products, and contribute to the literature on consumer responses in different European regions regarding edible insects as a sustainable food source.</p>","PeriodicalId":12386,"journal":{"name":"Foods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11353506/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Foods","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13162629","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Slovenia, influenced by Slavic, Mediterranean, and Balkan cultures, along with Austro-Hungarian traditions and strong environmental concerns, is an ideal case study for understanding consumer perceptions of edible insects and increasing their acceptance as an alternative protein source. A survey conducted in Slovenian and English with 537 participants examined existing perceptions and acceptance of edible insects as food and livestock feed. Findings show moderate interest in insects, particularly in non-visible, integrated forms, despite most participants not having tried whole insects. Young, educated individuals and those residing in rural areas have tried insects more often than other sociodemographic groups. Men showed more interest in entomophagy compared to women. Crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts were most acceptable, while cockroaches were least favored. Economic factors are crucial, with a preference for insect-based products priced similarly to conventional foods. The majority also support using insects as livestock feed. These results can aid policymakers at regional and national levels, help businesses market these products, and contribute to the literature on consumer responses in different European regions regarding edible insects as a sustainable food source.
期刊介绍:
Foods (ISSN 2304-8158) is an international, peer-reviewed scientific open access journal which provides an advanced forum for studies related to all aspects of food research. It publishes reviews, regular research papers and short communications. Our aim is to encourage scientists, researchers, and other food professionals to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible or share their knowledge with as much readers unlimitedly as possible. There is no restriction on the length of the papers. The full experimental details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced. There are, in addition, unique features of this journal:
manuscripts regarding research proposals and research ideas will be particularly welcomed
electronic files or software regarding the full details of the calculation and experimental procedure, if unable to be published in a normal way, can be deposited as supplementary material
we also accept manuscripts communicating to a broader audience with regard to research projects financed with public funds