CRI-KEE

Consumption and representations of insects - State of knowledge on their edibility in Europe

Consommation et représentations des insectes - Etat des connaissances sur leur comestibilité en Europe

Description

This collaborative project, bringing together a multidisciplinary and international team, aims to offer a food supply that meets the needs of consumers (health, nutritional, hedonic, cultural, ethical), accessible to all and favourable to well-being and health.

In the West, eating edible insects is part of a healthy and sustainable food perspective aimed at satisfying the growing demand for food while preserving the environment. It is a matter of accompanying the nutritional transitions linked to the global changes underway. This implies a change in behaviour and requires a better knowledge of the social, cultural, psychological and sensory determinants of food preferences and practices. This research offers to study them in order to identify avenues of innovation for agri-food companies wishing to deliver food with health, sensory, nutritional and functional qualities, and strategies related to public policies and regulations to accompany these changes in consumption patterns.

The major challenge is then to familiarize consumers with insects in order to reduce taste aversions and modify mental representations to make them "culturally edible" (Corbeau and Poulain, 2002), by reducing perceived danger and disgust. These three brakes echo the three types of ambivalence in the relationship between humans and their food: health-disease, pleasure-displeasure, life-death (Beardsworth, 1995). Associated regulatory strategies could promote insect acceptance, namely knowledge acquisition through communication and education, familiarization through exposure and association with known taste markers and foods, and sarcophagus consumption of insects.

The objective of this intercultural research is to analyse the mental representations of entomophagy, the types of insects least rejected, the acceptable forms of presentation, the groups favourable to this consumption, as well as the information and actions that can promote their consumption in order to suggest avenues of innovation to companies and public authorities.

Scientific team

Scientific Coordinator: Gaëlle Pantin-Sohier

Research focus 1 (carried by C. Gallen, U. Nantes)

• GALLEN Céline, PhD, Management Sciences, University of Nantes, France.
  Scientific Manager, research focus 1.
  Specialist in Consumer Behaviour and Food Marketing.
• POULAIN Jean-Pierre, Pr., Sociology, University of Toulouse, France.
  Specialist in the sociology of food and food anthropology.
• BRUNEL Olivier, PhD, Management Sciences, University of Lyon, France.
  Food Marketing Specialist.
• CAPARROS MEDIGO Rudy, Pr., Entomology, University of Liège, Belgium.
• FISCHLER Claude, Emeritus Research Director CNRS, Sociology, EHESS, France.
  Specialist in Food Sciences.
• FRANCIS Frédéric, Pr., Entomology, University of Liège, Belgium.
• LUCCHESE Thelma, Pr., Food Sciences, Campo Grande University, Brazil.
  Specialist in Food Sciences.
• MASSON Estelle, PhD, Social Psychology, University of Brest, France.
  Specialist in the relation with food (social representations, culture and food behaviours).
• SERE DE LANAUZE Gilles, PhD Habil., Management Sciences, University of Montpellier, France.
  Food Marketing Specialist.
• SIRIEIX Lucie, Pr., Management Sciences, SupAgro Montpellier, France.
  Food Marketing Specialist.

Research focus 2 (carried by J. Brée, U. Caen)

• BREE Joël, Pr., Management Sciences, University of Caen.
  Scientific Manager research focus 2.
  Specialist in children's food consumption behaviour.
• DAMAY Coralie, Pr., Marketing, ISC Paris, France.
  Specialist in children's food consumption behaviour.
• EZAN Pascale, Pr., Management Sciences, University of Le Havre, France.
  Specialist in children's food consumption behaviour.
• FRIANT-PERROT Marine, PhD, Consumer Law, University of Nantes, France.
  Jurist specialized in food consumption law.
• GENTINA Elodie, Pr., Marketing, IESEG, Lille, France.
  Specialist in teenagers' food consumption behaviour.
• GOLLETY Mathilde, Pr., Management Sciences, University of Paris 2, France.
  Specialist in children's food consumption behaviour.
• GUICHARD Nathalie, Pr., Management Sciences, University of Paris-Sud, France.
  Specialist in children's food consumption behaviour.
• PEYRAT-GUILLARD Dominique, Pr., Management Sciences, University of Angers, France.
  Specialist in qualitative data processing and textual data analysis.
• JELLOULI Khawla, PhD student, Management Sciences, University of Caen, France.
  Specialist in children's food consumption behaviour

Research focus 3 (carried by G. Pantin-Sohier, U. Angers)

• PANTIN-SOHIER Gaëlle, Pr., Management Sciences, University of Angers, France.
  Scientific Coordinator & Head of research focus 3.
  Specialist in Consumer Behaviour and Food Marketing.
• DELIZA Rosires, Pr., Food Sciences, Embrapa Food Technology, Brazil.
• HARTMANN Christina, Pr., Consumer Behaviour, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
  Entomophagy specialist.
• KAUPPINENRAISANEN Hannele, Pr., Sensory Marketing, University of Vaasa, Finland.
  Specialist in Marketing Communication in the Food Sector
• MAGNIER Lise, Pr., Marketing Design, TU Delft, The Netherlands.
  Packaging design specialist.
• HEMAR-NICOLAS Valérie, PhD Habil., Management Sciences, University of Paris-Sud, France.
  Specialist in sensorial marketing and packaging design.
• REINOSO CARVALHO Felipe, Pr., Management Sciences, University of Los Andes, Colombia.
  Specialist in sensorial marketing.
• SPENCE Charles, Pr., Psychology, University of Oxford, Great Britain.
  Specialist in psychology and cross-sensory modalities.
• MARIE Agathe, PhD student, Management Sciences, University of Angers, France.

A PhD in the GRANEM: Agathe Marie
"Intercultural study of the acceptability of insects in food consumption: representations, brakes, motivations and factors of diffusion".

Funding