(NewsNation) — The idea of putting live bugs in one’s mouth is probably a nonstarter in many places across the globe, but a new study from Europe suggests people are surprisingly receptive to consuming insect-based foods.
Researchers at Portugal’s University of Beira Interior measured the emotional and physical responses of nearly 40 test subjects who had never eaten products purposely made with bugs. Participants sampled both an insect protein bar and a cereal bar as their brain and heart activity were monitored.
The overall results, lead study author Andreia C. B. Ferreira said, indicated participants were open-minded and intrigued rather than repulsed by the idea of ingesting something made from the insect world.
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“This was really an unexpected result, as literature said to us that consumers tend to reject these novel foods. The results show us the relevance of tasting experiments on promoting this new alternative,” Ferreira said.
Fried silkworm pupae are displayed at Guanyinqiao Food Street on June 1, 2026, in Chongqing, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Products that are infused with insects, such as snacks made with dried, ground mealworms, have become more widely available as entrepreneurs try to sell consumers on the upside of tapping into what could be an endless supply of bug protein.
In some countries, such as China, Thailand and Mexico, consumers are not skittish about eating insects in their more natural form, although the bugs are often cooked and seasoned. For example, fried or roasted cicadas are popular in several Chinese provinces.
The authors of the study on insect-based snacks emphasize that their sample size was small.
The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics, was effectively meant to begin evaluating “how consumers respond to insect-based foods across different cultures and product types.”
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