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- Edible insects – exotic food or gastronomic innovation? Study involving 14 countriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel P.F.; Florença, Sofia G.; Bartkiene, Elena; Tarcea, Monica; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Djekic, Ilija; Sarić, MarijanavMatek; Boustani, Nada M.; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Klava, Dace; Papageorgiou, Maria; Fresno Baro, José Maria; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Damarli, Emel; Ferreira, Vanessa; Costa, Cristina A.; Correia, Paula M.R.; Ferreira, Manuela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, O.This study explores the perceptions about edible insects and their usage in modern gastronomy. Data were collected through questionnaire survey in 14 countries, and 7222 responses were obtained. ANOVA and factor analysis were used, respectively to evaluate differences between groups and to analyze the scale items. The results showed that participants showed higher agreement toward insects being considered exotic foods and being associated with taboos and neophobia. Some sociodemographic factors (country, age class, education level and income) were proven to significantly influence with the perceptions. while sex and living environment did not. Factor analysis extracted three factors, one associated with the uses of insects in gastronomy, another associated with insects as foods and a third about insects not being proper for human consumption. In conclusion, the work revealed differences between countries in the perceptions about edible insects, and that these perceptions were also significantly influenced according to other sociodemographic variables.
- Estudo internacional do nível de conhecimento sobre insetos comestíveisPublication . Guiné, Raquel P.F.; Florença, Sofia G.; Ferreira, Manuela; Costa, Cristina A.; Correia, Paula M.R.; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, O.; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Saric, Marijana Matek; Fresno Baro, José Maria; Kozeniowska, Malgorzata; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Bartkiene, Elena; Tarcea, Monica; Boustani, Nada M.; Djekic, Ilija; Klava, Dace; Damarli, EmelO consumo de insetos é uma prática tradicional ao longo da história humana, mas o seu consumo é muito variável, de acordo com a região do globo. Procurou-se investigar o nível de conhecimento sobre insetos comestíveis numa amostra de participantes de treze países.
- Investigation of the level of knowledge in different countries about edible insects : cluster segmentationPublication . Guiné, Raquel P.F.; Florença, Sofia G.; Costa, Cristina A.; Correia, Paula M.R.; Ferreira, Manuela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, O.; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Djekic, Ilija; Papageorgiou, Maria; Fresno Baro, José Maria; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Bartkiene, Elena; Tarcea, Monica; Boustani, Nada M.; Klava, Dace; Damarli, EmelThis study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge about edible insects (EIs) in a sample of people from thirteen countries (Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey). Data collection was based on a questionnaire survey applied through online tools between July and November 2021. For data analysis, techniques such as factor analysis, cluster analysis, and chi-square tests were used, with a significance level of 5%. A total of 27 items were used to measure knowledge on a five-point Likert scale. Applying factor analysis with principal components and Varimax rotation, a solution that explains about 55% of variance was obtained. This accounts for four factors that retained 22 of the 27 initial items: F1 = Sustainability (8 items), F2 = Nutrition (8 items), F3 = Production Factors (2 items), and F4 = Health Concerns (4 items). Internal consistency was evaluated through Cronbach’s alpha. The cluster analysis consisted of the application of hierarchical methods followed by k-means and produced three clusters (1—‘fearful’, 2—‘farming,’ and 3—‘ecological’ individuals). The characterisation of the clusters revealed that age did not influence cluster membership, while sex, education, country, living environment, professional area, and income all influenced the composition of the clusters. While participants from Mexico and Spain were fewer in the ‘fearful’ cluster, in those from Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, and Turkey, the situation was opposed. Participants from rural areas were mostly in cluster 2, which also included a higher percentage of participants with lower income. Participants from professional areas linked with biology, food, and nutrition were mostly in cluster 3. In this way, we concluded that the level of knowledge about EIs is highly variable according to the individual characteristics, namely that the social and cultural influences of the different countries lead to distinct levels of knowledge and interpretation of information, thus producing divergent approaches to the consumption of insects—some more reluctant and measuring possible risks. In contrast, others consider EIs a good and sustainable protein-food alternative.
- Edible insects: A survey about perceptions regarding possible beneficial health effects and safety concerns among adult citizens from Portugal and RomaniaPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Florença, Sofia G.; Costa, Cristina A.; Correia, Paula M.R.; Ferreira, Manuela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, Ofélia; Bacarea, Vladimir; Bacarea, Anca; Buicu, Gabriela; Szasz, Simona; Martin-Hadmas, Roxana; Tarcea, MonicaAlthough edible insects (EI) have been consumed for ages in many countries around the world, in most European countries, this is not a traditional practice. Still, it has been encouraged as a sustainable source of animal protein besides other nutrients. The Food and Agricultural Organization and the United Nations, recommend consuming EI as a way to contribute to the sustainable development goals. Hence, this research investigated how participants from Portugal and Romania perceive EI, and how these can be useful as a source of nutrients and other benefits for human health, as well as possible risks. For that, it was undertaken a questionnaire survey, with data collected online in the two countries. For the analysis of data, basis statistics and chi-square tests were used. Results showed significant differences between Portuguese and Romanian participants in six out of ten questions, namely regarding safety (p < 0.001), use in traditional medicine (p < 0.001), possible infection with parasites (p = 0.021), of pesticides (p = 0.031), their usage as therapeutics (p = 0.001) and being potential sources of allergens (p < 0.001) and aflatoxins (p < 0.001). Also, differences were tested for other sociodemographic variables. The results showed significant differences according to age for only three questions, gender for only two questions, and Education for most of the questions, i.e., six out of the ten. These results highlighted the greater influence of variables like country of origin and education in the perception of the effects of EI in human health.
- Are consumers aware of sustainability aspects related to edible insects? Results from a study involving 14 countriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel P.F.; Florença, Sofia G.; Anjos, O.; Boustani, Nada M.; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Ferreira, Manuela; Costa, Cristina A.; Bartkiene, Elena; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Tarcea, Monica; Correia, Paula M.R.; Campos, Sofia; Papageorgiou, Maria; Abarquero Camino, Daniel; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Kruma, Zanda; Damarli, Emel; Ferreira, Vanessa; Djekic, IlijaIn recent years, edible insects have been suggested as an alternative food that is more sustainable compared with other sources of animal protein. However, knowledge about the sustainability aspects associated with this source of food may play a role in convincing consumers to adopt insects as part of their diet. In this context, the present study investigated the level of knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects in a group of people originating from 14 countries, with some naturally entomophagous and others not. To measure the knowledge, 11 items were selected and the scores obtained were tested with statistical tools (t-test for independent samples, analysis of variance—ANOVA) to search for differences according to sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, geographical origin, and consumption habits of edible insects. The obtained results showed that, in general, knowledge is moderate, with the values of the average scores for the 11 items investigated ranging from 0.23 ± 0.99 to 0.66 ± 1.02, on a scale ranging from −2 (=very low knowledge) to 2 (=very high knowledge). The highest scores were found for items relating to the lower use of animal feed and lower emission of greenhouse gases required for the production of insects compared with beef. When investigating the differences between groups of participants, significant differences were generally found, revealing a trend for higher knowledge among males and young adults, for participants residing in urban areas and in countries such as Spain, Mexico, and Poland, and for participants with higher education levels and higher incomes. When testing the influence of consumption variables on the level of knowledge, the results showed a higher knowledge for participants who had already consumed insects or are willing to consume them. Finally, it was observed that higher knowledge was found for participants whose motivation to consume insects related to curiosity, a wish to preserve the planet, the gastronomic characteristics of insects, and their nutritional value. In conclusion, these results clearly indicate a very marked influence of a number of variables on the knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects, and this may be helpful to delineate strategies to effectively raise knowledge and eventually increase the willingness to consider insects as a more sustainable alternative to partially replace other protein foods, even in countries where this is a not a traditional practice.
- The international research project EISuFood - Edible Insects as Sustainable FoodsPublication . Guiné, Raquel P.F.; Florença, Sofia G.; Duarte, João; Ferreira, Manuela; Costa, Cristina A.; Correia, Paula M.R.; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, O.; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Saric, Marijana Matek; Papageorgiou, Maria; Fresno Baro, José Maria; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Bartkiene, Elena; Tarcea, M.; Boustani, Nada M.; Djekic, Ilija; Klava, Dace; Damarli, Emel; Ortet, O.; Ropero, M.C.; Elamine, Youssef; Oyerinde, A.; Ferreira, VanessaThe international research project EISUFOOD - Edible Insects as Sustainable Foods.