People 'too disgusted' to help the planet by eating insects, Leicester researchers find

If people in the UK are to seriously consider eating insects to help protect the planet, the “disgust factor” needs to be overcome first and foremost. A new study involving Leicester scientists has concluded that only 13 per cent of people were prepared to regularly eat insects, with younger people even more squeamish than older people.

Farming large animals such as cows is a big contributor to greenhouse gases because they burp out a lot of methane as they digest their food. And clearing forests for grazing land destroys trees that take the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, turning it into oxygen.

Insects are a good source of protein and do not have the same impact on global heating. But people don't like the idea of eating them.

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Co-author of the report, Dr Maxine Sharps of De Montfort University's psychology team, said: “We know the problems which eating meat contribute to damaging the environment and insects are high protein, low fat and easy to farm. In some parts of the world, eating insects is common but we wanted to see how people felt about it in the UK.”

Before they started the research, the team, which also included researchers from Lancashire and Liverpool, expected younger people to be more prepared to eat insects to protect their future. Dr Sharps said: "We thought that younger people might be more willing to try insects but actually it turned out the reverse was true.

“And interestingly, people were less likely to be keen on the idea of eating insects which had been ground up and added to flour, which again was contrary to what we thought we would find.

“The disgust factor is one of the most important things we need to overcome. After all there may eventually be no choice with climate change and projected global population growth.”

The research, which was presented this week in Venice at the European Congress on Obesity, polled 603 adults and also looked at their attitudes towards eating other "disgusting" things such as offal and mouldy food.

Overall, 13 per cent said they would be willing to regularly consume insects, 47 per cent said they would not and 40 per cent responded “maybe” or “unsure”.

It is estimated that food production accounts for up to a quarter of all human greenhouse gas emissions. The number of farmed animals is growing as more people around the world develop a taste for beef, chicken and other meats.

Farming creatures such as crickets, flies, and worms would make a big difference to the emission of greenhouse gases and they would also be a more healthy option, combatting the obesity epidemic that hits healthcare budgets and affects many people's ability to work.

Co-author Dr Lauren McGale, lecturer in psychology at Edge Hill University in Lancaster, said: “Insects are a potentially rich source of protein and micro-nutrients and could help provide a solution to the double burden of obesity and under-nutrition.

“Some insect proteins, such as ground crickets or freeze-dried mealworms, are cheaper and easier to farm, often lower in fat and have a lower environmental impact than traditional livestock.”