Consumer acceptance of different insect-based foods: a cross-cultural study in China and France

Consumption of edible insects as an alternative protein source has recently gained attention for its potential beneficial impacts on the environment, nutrition, and food security compared to traditional sources. However, despite being a traditional food in some parts of the world, its acceptance is still limited, especially in Europe. The present study aims to examine consumers’ willingness to eat (WTE) different insect-based foods (IBF) and investigate determining factors for acceptance in countries with or without entomophagy traditions. An online cross-cultural survey was conducted in France (n = 515) and China (n = 594) in April 2023. Several explanatory variables were established, and their effects on the acceptance of insect foods was analysed by applying multiple linear regression. The results showed that Chinese respondents had higher willingness to eat insects than French respondents, with a different preference ranking of thirteen IBFs. In both countries, significant predictors of consumers’ willingness to eat insects were the low insect visibility, low food neophobia and disgust level, previous experience of consuming insects and knowledge of insects’ nutritional and environmental benefits. Consequently, the inclusion of insects in the daily diet of French and Chinese consumers requires a transitional phase to familiarize consumers with processed foods containing invisible insects and establish positive perceptions of insect foods.