For anyone on the fence about eating insect-based foods, a tasting experiment may be enough to change some minds.
To discover how consumers respond to insect-based foods, researchers from the University of Beira Interior in Portugal measured the brain activity and heart rate of people while they sampled insect foods. The scientists also incorporated traditional surveys into their research.
Thirty-eight adults who had never tried insect-based foods before participated in the study. They tasted both an insect protein bar and a cereal bar while the researchers measured their physiological responses.
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Some of the participants were made aware of which bar they were eating, while others were told they were eating a cereal bar, when it actually contained insects.
"The physiological measurements showed that participants became more attentive and engaged while consuming the insect-based bars," the release said.
Participants' heart rates also increased during the tasting sessions, indicating "heightened arousal and attentiveness." This response was present even when participants didn't know they were consuming an insect-based product.
Most participants said they preferred the insect bar over the cereal bar, the researchers found. They also determined that "curiosity and attention may outweigh initial disgust toward insect-based foods."
The findings align with previous polling that suggests Americans may be more open to insect-based foods than commonly assumed. A 2021 YouGov survey found that 25% of Americans were willing to ingest insect ingredients, while 18% said they would be willing to eat whole bugs.
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Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital that it's "exciting to see that consumers may be open to new abundant sources of nutrition."
"We are going to have to be creative to make sure people are fed and nourished in the 21st century — and this study suggests we may be more curious and willing to try new things," added Gearhardt, who was not involved in the study.
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