Exploring the buzz: The mediating role of entomophagy attitudes among younger generations towards pork from pigs fed with insect flour

IF 4.9 1区农林科学 Q1 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Food Quality and Preference Pub Date : 2025-02-10 DOI:10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105469

Manal Hamam , Liisa Lähteenmäki , Daniela Spina , Raffaella Pergamo , Mario D'Amico , Giuseppe Di Vita

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Abstract

This research examines the mediating role of Entomophagy Attitude (EA) in the relationship between neophilia and intention, as well as neophobia and intention, to consume pork from pigs fed with insect flour. A sample of 534 young Italian pork consumers was recruited to test the study hypotheses using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that the three components of EA, namely “interest”, “feeding animals”, and “disgust”, are validated as effective tools for assessing indirect entomophagy. Additionally, neophilia and neophobia have been identified as strong predictors of interest and disgust, respectively. While the feeding animals dimension contributes to transmitting information, it appears less influential compared to the other two dimensions. Although the findings indicate that consumer intentions towards pork produced from pigs fed with insect flour are low, they offer valuable insights and suggestions for future marketing strategies and policymakers aiming to integrate insect-fed meat into a sustainable food supply.

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来源期刊

Food Quality and Preference 工程技术-食品科技

CiteScore

10.40

自引率

15.10%

发文量

263

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Food Quality and Preference is a journal devoted to sensory, consumer and behavioural research in food and non-food products. It publishes original research, critical reviews, and short communications in sensory and consumer science, and sensometrics. In addition, the journal publishes special invited issues on important timely topics and from relevant conferences. These are aimed at bridging the gap between research and application, bringing together authors and readers in consumer and market research, sensory science, sensometrics and sensory evaluation, nutrition and food choice, as well as food research, product development and sensory quality assurance. Submissions to Food Quality and Preference are limited to papers that include some form of human measurement; papers that are limited to physical/chemical measures or the routine application of sensory, consumer or econometric analysis will not be considered unless they specifically make a novel scientific contribution in line with the journal''s coverage as outlined below.