Not as Bad as I Thought: Consumers' Positive Attitudes Toward Innovative Insect-Based Foods.

Considering that the demand for food will increase by 70% by 2050, consuming insect-based foods appears as a protein alternative due to their nutritional quality and low environmental impact. However, there is a need to investigate the acceptance of these innovative foods, especially in traditional meat-eating markets, such as in Southern Brazil (land of the Gauchos). The purpose of this manuscript is to analyze consumers' attitudes toward innovative insect-based foods. The methodological procedures were divided into two stages. In the qualitative stage, 14 interviews were conducted regarding meat consumption habits. In the quantitative stage, a survey was carried out with 433 consumers. A factor and cluster analysis were performed, and two different groups of consumers were found. The results clearly show a segment with positive attitudes toward insect-based foods. This group had a low degree of neophobia. The products were perceived as not tasty and disgusting, but they were considered modern, with high nutritional value, positive, safe, and beneficial to the environment. Appearance, price, and packaging, combined with flavor, proved to be the attributes considered by consumers as the most important for their acceptance.

Consumer sensory and hedonic perception of sheep meat coppa under blind and informed conditions.

The development of air-dried cured sheep meat products represents an interesting option to add value to the meat of adult animals. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate consumer sensory and hedonic perception of sheep meat coppa, an innovative product. Four sheep meat coppa samples were formulated by varying smoking (smoked vs. non-smoked) and salt content (4.5% vs. 3.4%), and compared with two commercial samples of regular pork meat coppa. Samples were evaluated under blind or informed conditions by 202 consumers, who had to rate their liking and to answer a check-all-that-apply question. Sheep and pork meat coppa samples did not largely differ in their overall liking in both experimental conditions. Smoking and high salt content significantly increased consumers' hedonic perception of sheep meat coppa. The information included in the labels did not modify consumer hedonic perception but influenced their sensory description, particularly for the terms related to the type of meat used in their manufacture. Results indicate positive market opportunities for sheep meat coppa in the Brazilian market.

Consumer perception of dry-cured sheep meat products: Influence of process parameters under different evoked contexts.

The development of high-quality air-dried cured sheep meat products adapted to meet consumer demands represent an interesting option to add value to the meat of adult animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of process parameters on consumer choice of two products from sheep meat under different evoked contexts, considering product concepts. A total of 375 Brazilian participants completed a choice-based conjoint task with three 2-level variables for each product: maturation time, smoking, and sodium reduction for dry-cured sheep ham, and natural antioxidant, smoking, and sodium reduction for sheep meat coppa. A between-subjects experimental design was used to evaluate the influence of consumption context on consumer choices. All the process parameters significantly influenced consumer choice. However, their relative importance was affected by evoked context.