Insects at the table? I change my mind thanks to virtual reality
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How can insect food be promoted among young people? We talked about it with Monica Mendini, lecturer-researcher at the SUPSI Centre for Management Skills and Entrepreneurship.
Insect foods are a promising alternative to eating meat or fish. They provide quality protein and fatty acids and from an environmental point of view their cultivation has less impact than cattle or poultry farms. At a time when the need to adopt sustainable lifestyles is increasingly perceived, dietary practices such as entomophagy (from the Greek 'eating insects') may also be a solution. In Western countries, including Switzerland, insect-based foods have been appearing on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus for a couple of years now, but despite the good arguments in favour of their consumption, people are finding it difficult to include them in their diet. We talked about this with Monica Mendini, lecturer-researcher at the SUPSI Centre for Management Skills and Entrepreneurship and head of a project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation: Food Design Thinking and Virtual Reality in Entomophagy - Improving Health and Well-Being in Western Society through the Promotion of Insect-Based Food.
What hinders the consumption of insect-based food in Western countries?
There are certainly cultural barriers, also related to well-established culinary heritages in each nation. Consumers are held back by what in food circles is called neophobia, which in the case of insects, in the West, translates into a real sense of disgust; on the contrary, as we all know, in Asia it is completely normal to eat them as insects are an intrinsic component of their cuisine. In Europe, since it is an unconventional food, to which we have never been accustomed, people are afraid or at best wary of it. Tasting insects is then often related to a display of courage, as we can see in some reality shows. There is also a poorly founded perception regarding food safety, often distorted by Asian street food images showing fried insects sold on the street prepared in poor hygienic conditions. Yet another barrier is the price, which today remains high for these products.
Despite the cultural barrier of the West, one is beginning to see the potential, also economic, of commercialising insect-based food.
In Switzerland, there are establishments such as Essento and Gourmets Bugs that market cricket-based hamburgers or protein bars for sportsmen and women, which, precisely because of their high protein value, lend themselves well to sporting purposes, as well as restaurants, even starred ones, that are beginning to include such culinary proposals on their menus. At a recent opening of a restaurant in Milan selling hamburgers made with cricket flour, there was a queue of curious people attracted by the novelty. So, the experience and curiosity factor plays a role; it is a question of whether beyond that a habit can be established with benefits for wellbeing and the environment. The morphological view of the insect as such is still frightening, but if it is presented in other forms it becomes more attractive. After all, we are not completely unfamiliar with insects in our diet: for years cochineal was used to extract the dye used, for example, in the colouring of red aperitifs, only we consumers are very often unaware of this.
In 2021, the Food Design Thinking and Virtual Reality in Entomophagy project was launched.
The aim was to understand how to promote insect-based food among young people, especially Generation Z, who are usually more likely to empathise with these novelties. In the first phase, we conducted a series of interviews with experts in the field: companies, growers, but also consumer associations and influencers. A mixed approach that highlighted the barriers to consumption and how little communication is done on the subject, mostly superficial and instrumentalised. Hence the importance of correct information on the advantages and benefits of this new alternative food to increase awareness of these foods and the willingness to consume insect-based foods. In addition to this, responses also suggested the use of experiential channels such as gaming and virtual reality.
What hinders the consumption of insect-based food in Western countries?
There are certainly cultural barriers, also related to well-established culinary heritages in each nation. Consumers are held back by what in food circles is called neophobia, which in the case of insects, in the West, translates into a real sense of disgust; on the contrary, as we all know, in Asia it is completely normal to eat them as insects are an intrinsic component of their cuisine. In Europe, since it is an unconventional food, to which we have never been accustomed, people are afraid or at best wary of it. Tasting insects is then often related to a display of courage, as we can see in some reality shows. There is also a poorly founded perception regarding food safety, often distorted by Asian street food images showing fried insects sold on the street prepared in poor hygienic conditions. Yet another barrier is the price, which today remains high for these products.
Despite the cultural barrier of the West, one is beginning to see the potential, also economic, of commercialising insect-based food.
In Switzerland, there are establishments such as Essento and Gourmets Bugs that market cricket-based hamburgers or protein bars for sportsmen and women, which, precisely because of their high protein value, lend themselves well to sporting purposes, as well as restaurants, even starred ones, that are beginning to include such culinary proposals on their menus. At a recent opening of a restaurant in Milan selling hamburgers made with cricket flour, there was a queue of curious people attracted by the novelty. So, the experience and curiosity factor plays a role; it is a question of whether beyond that a habit can be established with benefits for wellbeing and the environment. The morphological view of the insect as such is still frightening, but if it is presented in other forms it becomes more attractive. After all, we are not completely unfamiliar with insects in our diet: for years cochineal was used to extract the dye used, for example, in the colouring of red aperitifs, only we consumers are very often unaware of this.
In 2021, the Food Design Thinking and Virtual Reality in Entomophagy project was launched.
The aim was to understand how to promote insect-based food among young people, especially Generation Z, who are usually more likely to empathise with these novelties. In the first phase, we conducted a series of interviews with experts in the field: companies, growers, but also consumer associations and influencers. A mixed approach that highlighted the barriers to consumption and how little communication is done on the subject, mostly superficial and instrumentalised. Hence the importance of correct information on the advantages and benefits of this new alternative food to increase awareness of these foods and the willingness to consume insect-based foods. In addition to this, responses also suggested the use of experiential channels such as gaming and virtual reality.
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Hence, the use of virtual reality. How was it used?
It is often used in marketing strategies related to the food world: the consumer is supposed to replicate what he would do in real life. We had the students watch - with VR viewers - a film explaining the benefits and methods of insect-based food cultivation. In this second phase of the project, we involved students from SUPSI's Bachelor in Business Administration and Leisure Management, as well as some students from USI and the University of San Diego. Before and after the viewing, we submitted the same questionnaire to the students: the results after viewing the video show that when nutritional, health, environmental and positive aspects of insect foods are provided, there is a much more positive attitude towards them and a greater openness to the possibility of tasting them. This was not the case before the vision. On the contrary, the students seemed reluctant and sceptical about the idea of trying insect-based food. They knew virtually nothing about this world.
What other activities did the project generate?
Several publications were produced and presented at international conferences such as the American Marketing Association Conference in Chicago, the Global Marketing Conference in Seoul or the International Society for Professional Innovation Management in Copenhagen. A relevant aspect is the mutual exchange that took place between basic training and research: the project served to develop classroom experiences. For example, students were asked to design a targeted communication campaign to convince teenagers in Ticino to try insect-based food, and they witnessed company testimonials such as the one given by the start-up TicinINsect. Of course, tastings were also organised and an informative blog was finally created to communicate the highlights of the project.
It is often used in marketing strategies related to the food world: the consumer is supposed to replicate what he would do in real life. We had the students watch - with VR viewers - a film explaining the benefits and methods of insect-based food cultivation. In this second phase of the project, we involved students from SUPSI's Bachelor in Business Administration and Leisure Management, as well as some students from USI and the University of San Diego. Before and after the viewing, we submitted the same questionnaire to the students: the results after viewing the video show that when nutritional, health, environmental and positive aspects of insect foods are provided, there is a much more positive attitude towards them and a greater openness to the possibility of tasting them. This was not the case before the vision. On the contrary, the students seemed reluctant and sceptical about the idea of trying insect-based food. They knew virtually nothing about this world.
What other activities did the project generate?
Several publications were produced and presented at international conferences such as the American Marketing Association Conference in Chicago, the Global Marketing Conference in Seoul or the International Society for Professional Innovation Management in Copenhagen. A relevant aspect is the mutual exchange that took place between basic training and research: the project served to develop classroom experiences. For example, students were asked to design a targeted communication campaign to convince teenagers in Ticino to try insect-based food, and they witnessed company testimonials such as the one given by the start-up TicinINsect. Of course, tastings were also organised and an informative blog was finally created to communicate the highlights of the project.
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Design Thinking and Virtual Reality in Entomophagy was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The call for proposals Monica took part in is called Spark, which funds experimentation with unconventional scientific approaches and new ideas.
Project Team: Monica Mendini, Daina Matise Schubiger.
Find out more on the project website.
Project Team: Monica Mendini, Daina Matise Schubiger.
Find out more on the project website.