Percorrer por autor "Anayansi Escalante-Aburto"
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- A cross-cultural study of unwillingness to consume insects in Croatia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, and MexicoPublication . Rosa María Mariscal-Moreno; Anayansi Escalante-Aburto; César Ozuna; Guiné, Raquel; Cristina Chuck-Hernández; Marijana Matek Sarić; Elena Bartkiene; Monica Tarcea; Lucio Rodríguez-SifuentesIntroduction Insects are a nutritious and environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional animal proteins. Because of this, their use as human food is being implemented in Europe, although this practice is not well-received in the countries of that continent. On the other hand, there are countries like Mexico, with a long tradition of insect consumption, which can serve as a model for increasing insect consumption in European countries. Methods A survey on insect consumption was conducted in Mexico, Croatia, Lithuania, Portugal, and Romania, and focused on people who had never consumed insects. The Chi-square test was performed for demographic variables; multinomial logistic regressions were used to establish relations between sociodemographic variables and respondents who had not consumed insects. Data from surveyed individuals from Mexico who have not included insects in their diet were analyzed to propose strategies to boost insect consumption in European countries. Results and discussion The percentage of respondents who had not consumed insects in Mexico was 29.7%, whereas in European countries, it ranged from 70.5 to 89.3%. The Chi-square test revealed a statistically significant difference for all analyzed sociodemographic factors. Gender, age, educational level, geographical area, and income all influenced a person to be a non-consumer of insects. We suggest using isolated insect protein or insect flour to formulate/develop food products, inform about the nutritional and health benefits of insects, integrate insects into the countries’ traditional cuisine, and reduce the costs of insects to increase their consumption in European countries.
- Edible Insects as Human Food: Perceptions of Individuals from Six CountriesPublication . de Pinho Ferreira Guiné, Raquel; Florença, Sofia de Guiné e; Anayansi Escalante-Aburto; Rosa María Mariscal-Moreno; César Ozuna; Lucio Rodríguez-Sifuentes; Cristina Chuck-Hernández; Marijana Matek Sarić; Nada M. Boustani; Elena Bartkiene; Cristina Filip; Simona Pârvu; Monica TarceaEdible insects (EIs) have been suggested as a sustainable alternative to meat from traditional sources. However, despite EIs being consumed by humans since time immemorial, it is also true that, in many areas, especially in Western countries, there is some resistance and even neophobia to their acceptance as food. This work aimed to investigate the perceptions about EIs and validate a corresponding scale. This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out by means of a questionnaire survey on a sample of 3711 participants in six countries (Croatia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Portugal and Romania). Data were analysed by factor and cluster analyses, as well as other statistical tools. The results showed that, out of the initial 36 items in the questionnaire, 24 were validated in the scale of perceptions, distributed across six factors. Cluster analysis showed that the participants could be grouped according to three clusters (Traditionalists, Shoppers and Innovators). Statistical tests revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the clusters in practically all sociodemographic and consumption variables studied. Finally, a word analysis of the 2263 words indicated by the participants when thinking about EIs revealed that the most frequent words were ‘disgusting’, ‘protein’, and ‘nutritive’ in all three clusters. However, differences were observed after the fourth position in the list of most frequent words. In conclusion, these results indicate that perceptions of EIs were highly variable across countries of origin and other sociodemographic groups, and that, globally, participants exhibited some neophobia towards EIs. However, they recognised their value in terms of nutrition, particularly protein. This work evidences some relevant aspects that can be useful to adapt and define targeted policies to demystify the negative perceptions about EIs and improve consumer acceptance, thus contributing to more sustainable food systems.