Producing meat pollutes and requires a lot of space and resources (water, grains…). To protect the planet, we must therefore find new sources of protein. One of the solutions is to replace, at least partially, meat by insects.
The problem is that insects, as a food, are rejected by Europeans and North Americans as inedible, dirty and disgusting. Yet, 2 billion humans (in Asia, Africa, South America) eat them regularly. The most commonly consumed in the world are beetles such as beetles, mainly in larval form (like the mealworm), lepidopterans (caterpillars) and hymenopterans (bees, wasps and ants).
Insects are interesting because they pollute less and require less water and food than cows or pigs. They also need less space to be raised and are rich in protein.
For a few years, researchers have been studying how to get adults in the West to accept insects, but few children. So we confronted children with edible insects to study their reactions.
Bugs with ketchup or chocolate?
Children may indeed play an important role in the introduction of entomophagy (eating insects) in a country like France for three reasons.
First, eating habits within a culture evolve over generations, so that young consumers may adopt new practices that they will then pass on to their children.
Second, childhood is a very important period, as food preferences learned early in life persist into adulthood. Finally, children also influence what their family and friends eat. By consuming insects themselves, they may inspire them to eat insects.
We interviewed 43 French children between the ages of 8 and 13 about their thoughts on eating insects. In a first study, they were asked to describe a child who eats insects (what he or she looks like, where he or she lives, etc.), and then to express how they felt about pictures of whole insects (grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms), ketchup- or chocolate-flavoured insects, shortbread cheese, and a chocolate cake containing powdered insects.
In a second study, children were interviewed in groups of two or three. This time we showed them real dried mealworms and a plain cake containing powdered mealworms. They also watched excerpts from the TV show Top Chef in which crickets and ants were cooked and eaten.
Children are curious but need to be reassured
The results of these studies show first of all that children think, like adults, that insects are not edible in our culture. According to them, insect eaters live in distant countries or do so to survive. Otherwise, eating insects is associated with filth or disgusting challenges on shows like Fort Boyard or Koh-Lanta.
Before being exposed to insects in the study, most children spontaneously indicate that they would refuse to eat them because they are disgusted by them. They imagine an unpleasant taste and sensation in their mouth. When we show them insects in pictures or in real life, they are more attracted to small insects like mealworms, which are easier to swallow than crickets or grasshoppers.
Insects flavoured with ketchup or chocolate are a little more accepted because these are tastes they know and like. But the foods they prefer are those in which the insect is hidden, such as cake, because it looks like a “normal cake.”
Another important result is that the children change their attitude during the study. Observing, handling and smelling real dried mealworms reduces their disgust and arouses their curiosity.
On the other hand, the children interviewed in small groups of two or three influenced each other. Some finally agreed to eat insect cake because their friends had tasted it. The children were also more willing to taste whole insects after watching the TV show Top Chef with well-cooked insects.
This study shows that children in France can finally get used to the idea of eating insects quite quickly. They are disgusted by whole insects but curious about them. Their interest may increase if insects are associated with familiar tastes or foods, and if they are eaten in a reassuring situation, such as with family, or in a fun situation, such as during a challenge with friends.
Céline Gallen, Professeur des Universités en Sciences de Gestion, IAE Nantes, NANTES Université, Université de Nantes; Gaëlle Pantin-Sohier, Professeur des universités en science de gestion, IAE Angers - Université d'Angers, and Valérie Hémar-Nicolas, Professeure des universités en sciences de gestion et du management - Consommation alimentaire et durabilité, Université Paris-Saclay
Uzalishaji wa nyama huchafua na inahitaji nafasi nyingi na rasilimali (maji, nafaka...). Kwa hiyo, ili kulinda sayari, ni lazima tupate vyanzo vipya vya protini. Mojawapo ya suluhisho ni kubadilisha nyama kwa wadudu, angalau kwa sehemu. "Watu wa Ulaya na Amerika Kaskazini huona wadudu kuwa ""wasioweza kuliwa, chafu na wenye kuchukiza.""" Hata hivyo, watu bilioni mbili (katika Asia, Afrika, na Amerika Kusini) hula matunda hayo kwa ukawaida. Mnyama wa kawaida zaidi duniani ni wadudu kama vile wadudu, hasa katika fomu ya larval (kama minyoo), lepidoptera (caterpillars) na hymenoptera (nyuki, nyigu na chungu). Wadudu ni wenye kupendeza kwa sababu wao husababisha uchafuzi mdogo na huhitaji maji na chakula kidogo kuliko ng'ombe au nguruwe. Pia zinahitaji nafasi kidogo ya kulelewa na zina protini nyingi. Kwa miaka kadhaa, watafiti wamekuwa wakijifunza jinsi ya kuwafanya watu wazima katika nchi za Magharibi wakubali wadudu, lakini watoto wachache. Kwa hiyo, tulikabili watoto na wadudu wanaokula ili kuchunguza jinsi wanavyoitikia. Wadudu wenye ketchup au chokoleti? Watoto wanaweza kuwa na jukumu muhimu katika kuanzishwa kwa entomophagy (kula wadudu) katika nchi kama Ufaransa kwa sababu tatu. Kwa mfano, tabia za kula katika utamaduni fulani huendelea kwa vizazi kadhaa, na hivyo vijana wanaweza kuanzisha mazoea mapya ambayo watawapitishia watoto wao. Pili, utoto ni kipindi muhimu sana, kwa kuwa mapendezi ya chakula yaliyofundishwa mapema maishani huendelea hadi ujana. Mwishowe, watoto huathiri pia kile ambacho familia yao na marafiki wao hula. Kwa kula wadudu wenyewe, huenda wakawachochea kula wadudu. Kwa mfano, waandishi wa habari wa Ufaransa walihoji watoto wa Ufaransa wenye umri wa miaka 8 hadi 13 kuhusu jinsi wanavyoweza kuepuka kula wadudu. Katika utafiti wa kwanza, waliulizwa kuelezea mtoto anayekula wadudu (anaonekanaje, anaishi wapi, nk. "Waliuliza jinsi walivyohisi kuhusu picha za wadudu wote (mamba, nzige, na minyoo), wadudu wenye ladha ya ketchup au chokoleti, jibini, na keki ya chokoleti yenye wadudu.""" Katika uchunguzi wa pili, watoto walihojiwa katika vikundi vya watu wawili au watatu. Wakati huu tuliwaonyesha minyoo ya unga iliyokaushwa halisi na keki ya kawaida yenye minyoo ya unga iliyotiwa unga. Pia walitazama vipindi vya kipindi cha televisheni cha Top Chef ambapo vipepeo na chungu walipikwa na kuliwa. Watoto ni curious lakini wanahitaji kuwa na uhakika matokeo ya utafiti huu kuonyesha kwanza ya yote kwamba watoto kufikiri, kama watu wazima, kwamba wadudu si edible katika utamaduni wetu. Wanasema kwamba wadudu wanaokula wadudu wanaishi katika nchi za mbali au wanafanya hivyo ili waendelee kuishi. Kwa upande mwingine, kula wadudu huhusianishwa na uchafu au changamoto za kuchukiza kwenye maonyesho kama vile Fort Boyard au Koh-Lanta. Kabla ya kuambukizwa wadudu, watoto wengi walionyesha kwamba wangekataa kula wadudu hao kwa sababu walichukizwa nao. Wanafikiria ladha na hisia zisizopendeza kinywani mwao. Wakati tunawaonyesha wadudu katika picha au katika maisha halisi, wao ni zaidi kuvutia kwa wadudu wadogo kama mealworms, ambayo ni rahisi kumeza kuliko vipepeo au nzige. Wadudu wenye ladha ya ketchup au chokoleti wanakubaliwa zaidi kwa sababu hizo ni ladha wanazozijua na kupenda. Lakini chakula wanachopendelea ni kile ambacho wadudu wamefichwa ndani yake, kama vile keki, kwa sababu inaonekana kama "keki ya kawaida". Matokeo mengine muhimu ni kwamba watoto hubadilisha mtazamo wao wakati wa utafiti. Kuchunguza, kushughulikia na kunusa minyoo halisi ya unga iliyokaushwa hupunguza chuki yao na kuamsha udadisi wao. Kwa upande mwingine, watoto waliofanyiwa mahojiano katika vikundi vidogo vya watu wawili au watatu walichocheana. Mwishowe, baadhi yao walikubali kula keki ya wadudu kwa sababu marafiki wao walikuwa wameijaribu. Watoto walikuwa tayari zaidi kuonja wadudu wote baada ya kutazama kipindi cha televisheni cha Top Chef na wadudu waliopikwa vizuri. Utafiti huo unaonyesha kwamba watoto wa Ufaransa wanaweza kuzoea kula wadudu haraka sana. Wao huchukizwa na wadudu wote lakini huwa na hamu ya kuwajua. "Wanaweza kupendezwa zaidi na wadudu wakihusianishwa na ladha au vyakula vya kawaida, na wakila katika hali ya utulivu, kama vile pamoja na familia, au katika hali ya kufurahisha, kama vile wakati wa changamoto na marafiki.""" Céline Gallen, Profesa wa Sayansi ya Usimamizi wa Chuo Kikuu cha IAE Nantes, Nantes, Nantes, Gaëlle Pantin-Sohier, Profesa wa Sayansi ya Usimamizi wa Chuo Kikuu cha IAE Angers, na Valérie Hémar-Nicolas, Profesa wa Sayansi ya Usimamizi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Paris-Saclay.