Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.5656/KSAE.2021.11.0.052

Perceptions and Attitudes of Americans in Korea toward Edible Insect-based Pet Food  

Kim, Seo-Young (XO Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology)
Bae, Ga-Eun (Food Science and Biotechnology Major, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University)
Yang, Hee (Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University)
Publication Information
Korean journal of applied entomology / v.60, no.4, 2021 , pp. 493-502 More about this Journal
Abstract
We examined American consumers' perceptions and attitudes toward edible insect-based pet food. In this study, 16 Americans in Korea who owned dogs were categorized into two groups, and focus-group discussions were conducted under three conditions. First, we observed the free association perception of edible insect-based pet food, and attitudes were analyzed after providing a newspaper article related to it. Finally, consumer attitude was examined in the context of purchasing. The study found that the participants had high awareness of the eco-friendliness of edible insects and showed a positive attitude toward news articles related to it. However, when it came to purchasing, they considered nutritional and health functional values compared to environmental values. Meanwhile, the rejection of insects was nevertheless the most important negative factor in pet food, as in general food. The results are significant in confirming the possibility of using insect-based pet food by examining the perceptions and attitudes toward the environmental, nutritional, and health functional values of edible insects under three conditions for American consumers.
Keywords
Edible insect; Pet food; Consumer; Perception; Attitude;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Rumpold, B.A., Schluter, O.K., 2013. Nutritional composition and safety aspects of edible insects. Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 57, 802-823.   DOI
2 Baek, M.H., Seo, M.C., Kim, M.A., Yun, E.Y., Hwang, J.S., 2017. Antioxidant activities and hair-growth promotion effects of Tenebrio molitor larvae extracts (TMEs). Korean J. Life Sci. 27, 1269-1275.
3 Higa, J.E., Ruby, M.B., Rozin, P., 2021. Americans' acceptance of black soldier fly larvae as food for themselves, their dogs, and farmed animals. Food Qual. Prefer. 90, 104119.   DOI
4 Koutsos, L., Mccomb, A., Finke, M., 2019. Insect composition and uses in animal feeding applications: A brief review. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 112, 544-551.   DOI
5 Magnusson, M.K., Arvola, A., Hursti, U.K.K., Lars, A., Sjoden, P.O., 2003. Choice of organic foods is related to perceived consequences for human health and to environmentally friendly behaviour. Appetite. 40, 109-117.   DOI
6 Papp, R., Borbas, L., Dobos, E., Bredehorst, M., Jaruseviciene, L., Vehko, T., Balogh, S., 2014. Perceptions of quality in primary health care: Perspectives of patients and professionals based on focus group discussions. BMC Fam. Pract. 15, 128-140.   DOI
7 Park, E.S., Choi, M.K., 2020. Recognition, purchase, and consumption of edible insects in Korean adults. J. Nutr. Health. 53, 190-202.   DOI
8 RaboResearch website, 2021. No longer crawling: Insect protein to come of age in the 2020s. https://research.rabobank.com/far/en/sectors/animal-protein/insect-protein-to-come-of-age-in-the-2020s.html (accessed on 31 October, 2021).
9 Ruby, M.B., Rozin, P., 2019. Disgust, sushi consumption, and other predictors of acceptance of insects as food by Americans and Indians. Food Qual. Prefer. 74, 155-162.   DOI
10 Schleicher, M., Cash, S.B., Freeman, L.M., 2019. Determinants of pet food purchasing decisions. Can. Vet. J. 60, 644-650.
11 Spartano, S., Grasso, S., 2021. Consumers' perspectives on eggs from insect-fed hens: A UK focus group study. Foods. 10, 420-430.   DOI
12 Sun-Waterhouse, D., Waterhouse, G.I.N., You, L., Zhang, J., Liu, Y., Ma, L., Gao, J., Dong, Y., 2016. Transforming insect biomass into consumer wellness foods: A review. Food Res. Int. 89, 129-151.   DOI
13 van Huis, A., 2013. Potential of insects as food and feed in assuring food security. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 58, 563-583.   DOI
14 van Huis, A., Oonincx, D.G.A.B., 2017. The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review. Agron. Sustain. 43-56.
15 Wilkinson, K., Muhlhausler, B., Motley, C., Crump, A., Bray, H., Ankeny, R., 2018. Australian consumers' awareness and acceptance of insects as food. Insects. 9, 44-54.   DOI
16 Yoon, Y.I., Chung, M.Y., Hwang, J.S., Han, M.S., Goo, T.W., Yun, E.Y., 2015. Allomyrina dichotoma (Arthropoda: Insecta) larvae confer resistance to obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet. Forum Nutr. 7, 1978-1991.
17 aTFIS website, 2021. 2020 Pet food market status survey(summary). https://www.atfis.or.kr/article/M001010000/list.do (accessed on 5 November, 2021).
18 Gravel, A., Doyen, A., 2020. The use of edible insect proteins in food: challenges and issues related to their functional properties. Innov. Food Sci. Emerg. Technol. 59, 102272.   DOI
19 Han, R., Shin, J.T., Kim, J., Choi, Y.S., Kim, Y.W., 2017. An overview of the South Korean edible insect food industry: challenges and future pricing/promotion strategies. Entomol. Res. 47, 141-151.   DOI
20 Mancuso, T., Baldi, L., Gasco, L., 2016. An empirical study on consumer acceptance of farmed fish fed on insect meal: the Italian case. Aquac. Int. 24, 1489-1507.   DOI
21 Bae, S.M., Lee, S.B., Kim, J.W., Hwang, Y.H., 2020. Analysis of consumer receptivity to pet food containing edible insects in South Korea. Korean J. Appl. Entomol. 59, 139-143.   DOI
22 Baker, M.A., Shin, J.T., Kim, Y.W., 2016. An exploration and investigation of edible insect consumption: the impacts of image and description on risk perceptions and purchase intent. Psychol. Mark. 33, 94-112.   DOI
23 Banfield website, 2016. State of pet health 2016 report. https://www.banfield.com/pet-health/State-of-pet-health (accessed on 25 October, 2021).
24 BBC website, 2019. Insect-based food 'better for pets than top steak'. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49450935 (accessed on 31 October, 2021).
25 Beynen, A.C., 2014. Hypoallergenic Petfoods. Creature Companion. Dec, pp. 54-55.
26 Chung, M.Y., Yoon, Y.I., Hwang, J.S., Goo, T.W., Yun, E.Y., 2014. Anti-obesity effect of Allomyrina dichotoma (Arthropoda: Insecta) larvae ethanol extract on 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. Entomol. Res. 44, 9-16.   DOI
27 Rabiee, F., 2004. Focus-group interview and data analysis. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 63, 655-660.   DOI
28 Collins, C.M., Vaskou, P., Kountouris, Y., 2019. Insect food products in the western world: Assessing the potential of a new 'Green' market. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 112, 518-528.   DOI
29 Legendre, T.S., Jo, Y.H., Han, Y.S. Kim, Y.W., Ryu, J.P., Jang, S. J., Kim, J. 2019. The impact of consumer familiarity on edible insect food product purchase and expected liking: The role of media trust and purchase activism. Entomol. Res. 49, 158-164.   DOI
30 PetfoodIndustry website, N.D. Top pet food companies current data. https://www.petfoodindustry.com/directories/211-top-pet-food-companies-current-data (accessed on 30 October, 2021).
31 Ruby, M.B., Rozin, P., Chan, C., 2015. Determinants of willingness to eat insects in the USA and India. J. Insects Food Feed. 1, 215-225.   DOI
32 Sester, C., Dacremont, C., Deroy, O., Valentin, D., 2013. Investigating consumers' representations of beers through a free association task: A comparison between packaging and blind conditions. Food Qual. Prefer. 28, 475-483.   DOI
33 Tan, H.S.G., van den Berg, E., Stieger, M., 2016. The influence of product preparation, familiarity and individual traits on the consumer acceptance of insects as food. Food Qual. Prefer. 52, 222-231.   DOI
34 Varelas, V., 2019. Food wastes as a potential new source for edible insect mass production for food and feed: A review. Fermentation. 5, 81-99.   DOI
35 Godfray, H.C., Beddington, J.R., Crute, I.R., Haddad, L., Lawrence, D., Muir, J.F., Pretty, J., Robinson, S., Thomas, S.M., Toulmin, C., 2010. Food security: the challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Sci. 327, 812-818.   DOI
36 Conway, D.M.P., Saker, K.E., 2018. Consumer attitude toward the environmental sustainability of grain-free pet foods. Front. Vet. Sci. 5, 1-8.   DOI
37 Deroy, O., Reade, B., Spence, C., 2015. The insectivore's dilemma, and how to take the West out of it. Food Qual. Pref. 44, 44-55.   DOI
38 Dilshad, R.M., Latif, M.J., 2013. Focus group interview as a tool for qualitative research: An analysis. Pak. J. Life Soc. Sci. 33, 191-198.
39 Govorushko, S., 2019. Global status of insects as food and feed source: A review. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 91, 436-445.   DOI
40 Grahl, S., Strack, M., Weinrich, R., Morlein, D., 2018. Consumer-oriented product development: The conceptualization of novel food products based on Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) and resulting consumer expectations. J. Food Qual. 2018, 1919482.
41 Hermans, W.J.H., Senden, J.M., Churchward-Venne, T.A., Paulussen, K.J.M., Fuchs, C.J., Smeets, J.S.J., van Loon, J.J.A., Verdijk, L.B., van Loon, L.J.C., 2021. Insects are a viable protein source for human consumption: from insect protein digestion to postprandial muscle protein synthesis in vivo in humans: a double-blind randomized trial. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 114, 934-944.   DOI
42 Nyumba, T.O., Wilson, K., Derrick, C.J., Mukherjee, N., 2018. The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from two decades of application in conservation. Methods Ecol. Evol. 9, 20-32.   DOI