Challenges to Insect-Based Food Acceptance: An Analysis of Neophobia Exploring Cognitive Aspects of the Mexican Consumers.

The rising interest in alternative proteins has led to exploring insects as a sustainable option, but food neophobia hinders acceptance. This study analyzed insect-based food neophobia among 620 Mexican consumers via an online survey, considering emotions, memories, protein type, gender, and consumer context. A Google Forms questionnaire assessed neophobia based on cognitive dimensions, with high reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.93-0.94). ANOVA revealed that protein type and gender significantly influenced emotions, while protein type, gender, and consumer context affected memory recall. Men experienced more emotions and memories than women, and urban consumers recalled more memories than rural ones. Both genders associated insect-based food with negative memories. Cognitive mapping showed that insect-based food elicited negative emotions (disgust, aggression, worry, wildness, boredom) and memories (disease, poverty, pain, accidents, stench, hurt, conflict). These results highlight the need to address cognitive factors to improve consumer acceptance of insect-based food as a sustainable food source. Practical Application: This research helps food producers and marketers understand the psychological barriers to insect-based food acceptance among Mexican consumers. By identifying key emotions and memories linked to neophobia, companies can develop targeted strategies-such as educational campaigns or product reformulation-to improve consumer perception. These insights can support the sustainable food industry in making insect-based proteins more appealing and accessible.