Entomophagy: a preliminary study on the perception of students of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine in Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v12i2.40015Keywords:
Insects; Entomophagy; Alternative foods; Insect protein.Abstract
The research aims to prospect information related to the perception of students of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine in Brazil regarding the use and acceptance of insects and their by-products in animal and human food. A study was conducted based on objective questions in an online form designed to collect the necessary data, classified as a descriptive exploratory cross-sectional study on the subject. A total of 432 answers were distributed among the regions of Brazil, namely: Northeast (68.4%), Southeast (12.8%), South (11.4%), North (4.4%) and Midwest (3%). The results show that 76.9% of the students know about the use of insects in human and animal food, but only 48.1% would recommend insect-based feeding. Even with 84.3% not having entomophobia and knowing about entomophagy, only 30.1% would ingest a bread made from insect flour, and would recommend to other people the consumption of this type of ingredient. Finally, it is pertinent to infer that the use of insects in human and animal food, despite being known by this sample group, is still superficial and with several paradigms, which make their effective use impossible. It is suggested that entomophagy be included in the curricular projects of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine courses, so that this knowledge can really be a viable alternative for the production of alternative protein in Brazil.
References
Aarnink, A. J. A., Keen, A., Metz, J. H. M., Speelman, L., & Verstegen, M. W. A. (1995). Ammonia emission patterns during the growing periods of pigs housed on partially slatted floors. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 62(2): 105–116. https://doi.org/10.1006/jaer.1995.1069.
Arana, F. (2006). Insectos comestibles. Entre el gusto y la aversión (1st ed., p. 135). Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.
ASCOM/CRMV-MS & CFMV. (2017, August 3). 8 de março – Dia da Mulher. Notícias. CRMV/MS. <https://crmvms.org.br/noticias/8-de-marco-dia-da-mulher-2/>.
ASCOM/CRMV-SP & CFMV. (2013, May 25). 25 de maio – Revista CFMV especial sobre as mulheres na Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. CRMV/SP. <https://crmvsp.gov.br/revista-cfmv-especial-sobre-as-mulheres-na-medicina-veterinaria-e-zootecnia/>.
Ayieko, M. A., & Oriaro, V. (2008). Consumption, indigeneous knowledge and cultural values of the lakefly species within the Lake Victoria region. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 2(10): 282–286. ISSN 1996-0786.
Boland, M. J., Rae, A. N., Vereijken, J. M., Meuwissen, M. P., Fischer, A. R., Van Boekel, M. A., & Hendriks, W. H. (2013). The future supply of animal-derived protein for human consumption. Trends Food Science and Technology, v. 29, p. 62-73, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2012.07.002.
Bosch, G., Zhang, S., Oonincx, D. G., & Hendriks, W. H. (2014). Protein quality of insects as potential ingredients for dog and cat foods. Journal of Nutritional Science, 3(3): 1-4. 10.1017/jns.2014.23.
Bosch, G., Vervoort, J. J. M., & Hendriks, W. H. (2016). In vitro digestibility and fermentability of selected insects for dog foods. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 221, 174-184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2016.08.018.
Chaer, G., Diniz, R. R. P., Ribeiro, E. A. (2011). A técnica do questionário na pesquisa educacional. Revista Evidência. 7(7): 251-266. http://www.educadores.diaadia.pr.gov.br/arquivos/File/maio2013/sociologia_artigos/pesqusia_social.pdf.
Chaves, L. R. (2020). Insetos comestíveis. Pesquisa FAPESP. Disponível em: https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/insetos-comestiveis/.
Collavo, A., Glew, R. H., Huang, Y. S., Chuang, L. T., Bosse, R., & Paoletti, M. G. (2005). House cricket small-scale farming. In Ecological implications of minilivestock: potential of insects, rodents, frogs and snails. pp. 519–544. New Hampshire, Science Publishers. ISBN 9781578083398.
Costa Neto, E. M. (2002). The ritual use of insects in different socio-cultural contexts. Sitientibus série Ciências Biológicas, 2(1/2): 97–103. https://doi.org/10.13102/scb8243.
Costa-Neto, E. M. (2003). Insetos como fontes de alimentos para o homem: Valoração de recursos considerados repugnantes. INCI. 28(3): 136-140. ISSN 0378-1844.
Costa Neto, E. M., Neto, E. M. C., & Pacheco, J. M. (2004). A construção do domínio etnozoológico “inseto” pelos moradores do povoado de Pedra Branca, Santa Terezinha, Estado da Bahia. Acta Scientiarum. Biological Sciences, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.4025/ACTASCIBIOLSCI.V26I1.1662
Costa Neto. (2011). Antropoentomofagia: sobre o consumo de insetos. In Antropoentomofagia: insetos na alimentação humana. Edited by E. M. Costa Neto, pp. 17-37. Feira de Santana: UEFS Editora.
Costa-Neto, E.M., & Dunkel, F. V. (2016). Chapter 2 - Insects as Food: History, Culture, and Modern Use around the World. Editor(s): Aaron T. Dossey, Juan A. Morales-Ramos, M. Guadalupe Rojas. In: Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients, Academic Press, 2016, pages 29-60, ISBN 9780128028568.
CRMV-PR. (2016). Março - Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia: igualdade de gênero é realidade. In CRMV-PR. <https://www.crmv-pr.org.br/uploads/revista/arquivos/20160307140058.pdf>.
Davey, G. C. (1993). Factors influencing self-rated fear to a novel animal. Cognition & Emotion, 7(5), 461-471. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699939308409199.
Davey, G. C. L. (1994). The "disgusting" spider: The role of disease and illness in the perpetuation of fear of spiders. Society & Animals: Journal of Human-Animal Studies, 2(1), 17–25. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853094X00045.
Dillman, D. A. (2007). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. John Wiley & Sons.
Egert, M., Wagner, B., Lemke, T., Brune, A., & Friedrich, M.W. (2003). Microbial community structure in midgut and hindgut of the humus-feeding larva of Pachnoda ephippiata (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 69(11): 6659–6668. doi: 10.1128/AEM.69.11.6659-6668.2003.
FAO. (2008). In: Durst, P.B., Dennis, V. J., Robin, N. L., & Kenichi, S. Forest Insects as Food: Humans Bite Back, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. 19-21, Chiang Mai, Thailand. https://www.doc-developpement-durable.org/file/Elevages/Insectes/edible%20forest%20insects.pdf.
FAO. (2009). How to feed the world in 2050. Paper presented at the High Level Expert Forum, Rome, Italy, 12–13 October. https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/expert_paper/How_to_Feed_the_World_in_2050.pdf.
FAO. (2009). Biodiversity and nutrition, a common path. Rome. https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/food_composition/documents/upload/Interodocumento.pdf.
Hackstein, J. H., & Stumm, C. K. (1994). Methane production in terrestrial arthropods. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 91(12): 5441–5445. 10.1073/pnas.91.12.5441.
Krosnick, J. A., & Presser, S. (2010). Question and questionnaire design. Handbook of survey research, 2, 241-262.
La Barbera, F., Verneau, F., & Coppola, A., (2019). Entomophagy: A contribution to the understanding of consumer intention. Quality-Access to Success. Volume. 20, pag. 329-334. issn 1582-2559.
Liceaga A. M., Aguilar-Toalá, J. E., Vallejo-Cordoba, B., González-Córdova, A. F., & Hernández-Mendoza, A. (2022). Insects as an alternative protein source.. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology. mar 25;13:19-34.. epub 2021 oct 26. pmid: 34699254. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-food-052720-112443
Looy, H., Dunkel, F. V., & Wood, J. R. (2014). How then shall we eat? Insect-eating attitudes and sustainable foodways. Agriculture and human values, 31(1): 131-141.
Lucchese-Cheung et al. (2021). The Brazilians' sensorial perceptions for novel food - cookies with insect protein. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed. 7(3): 287-299. https://doi.org/10.3920/jiff2020.0080
Maheu, E. (2011). Onívoros? Limitações e possibilidades do comestível e do palatável diante das fronteiras culturais: o caso dos insetos, in Antropoentomofagia: Insetos na alimentação humana. Edited by Costa Neto, E. E., pp. 39-54. Feira de Santana: UFES editora.
Matchett, G., & Davey, G. C. (1991). A test of a disease-avoidance model of animal phobias. Behaviour research and therapy, 29(1), 91-94.
Miller, W. I. (1998). The anatomy of disgust. Harvard University Press.
Nakagaki, B. J., & De Foliart, G. R. (1991). Comparison of diets for mass-rearing Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) as a novelty food, and comparison of food conversion efficiency with values reported for livestock. Journal of Economic Entomology, 84(3): 891–896.
Oonincx, D. G. A. B., van Itterbeeck, J., Heetkamp, M. J. W., van den Brand, H., van Loon, J., & van Huis, A. (2010). An exploration on greenhouse gas and ammonia production by insect species suitable for animal or human consumption. Plos One, 5(12): e14445.
Payne, C., Scarborough, P., Rayner, M., et al. (2016). Are edible insects more or less ‘healthy’ than commonly consumed meats? a comparison using two nutrient profiling models developed to combat over- and undernutrition. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 70, 285–291
Rozin, P., Nemeroff, C., Horowitz, M., Gordon, B., & Voet W. (1995). The Borders of the Self: Contamination Sensitivity and Potency of the Body Apertures and Other Body Parts, Journal of Research in Personality, 29(3): 318-340, ISSN 0092-6566. https://doi.org/10.1006/jrpe.1995.1019.
Pimentel, D., & Pimentel, M. (2003) Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 78(3): 660S-663S.
Rozin, P., & Fallon, A. E. (1987). A perspective on disgust. Psychological Review, 94(1): 23–41.
Smil, V. (2002). Worldwide transformation of diets, burdens of meat production and opportunities for novel food proteins. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 30: 305–311.
Santos, J. R., & Henriques, S. (2021). Inquérito por questionário [Em linha]: contributos de conceção e utilização em contextos educativos. Lisboa: Universidade Aberta, 37 p. (eUAb. Documentos UAb). ISBN 978-972-674-896-0
Skrivervik, E. (2020). Insects’ contribution to the bioeconomy and the reduction of food waste. Heliyon, 6(5), e03934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03934
Srivastava, S. K., Babu, N., & Pandey, H., (2009). Traditional insect bioprospecting as human food and medicine. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 8, 485–494.
Stull, V. (2021). Impacts of insect consumption on human health. Journal of Insects as food an feed, 7(5): 695-713. 10.3920/JIFF2020.0115.
Van Huis, A., Van Itterbeeck, J., Klunder, H., Mertens, E., Halloran, A., Muir, G., & Vantomme, P. (2013). Edible Insects. Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security. FAO: Rome, 201p..
Van Huis, A., Halloran, A., Van Itterbeeck, J., Klunder, H., & Vantomme, P. (2022). How many people on our planet eat insects: 2 billion?. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 8(1), 1-4.
Vilella, L. M. (2018). Produção de insetos para uso na alimentação animal. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Porto Alegre, Brasil.
Vantomme, P. (2010). Edible forest insects, an overlooked protein supply. Unasylva (English ed.), 61(236), 19-21.
Ware, J., Jain, K., Burgess, I., & Davey, G. C. L. (1994). Factor analysis of common animal fears: Support for a disease-avoidance model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 57-63.
Yen, A. L., (2009a). Edible insects: traditional knowledge or western phobia? Entomological Research. 39, 289–298.
Yen, A. L., (2009b). Entomophagy and insect conservation: some thoughts for digestion. Journal of Insect Conservation. 13, 667–670.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Antônio Victor Alves de Miranda ; Pedro Washington de Arruda Alves; Marcelo Vasconcelos de Azevedo Guedes; Ayrton Manuel Silva de Araújo; Rebeca Rubeana Magalhães Wanderley; Elisabete Albuquerque dos Santos; Hilton Nobre da Costa; Júlio Cézar dos Santos Nascimento
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.