Consumer Acceptance of Meat from Animals Reared on Insect Meal as Feed

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Poultry, pigs, and fish consume insects in nature and therefore insect meal could be considered to be an acceptable substitute for soybean and fishmeal as a protein source in the diets of these animals. Hungarian respondents were asked about their opinion on consuming meat obtained from animals under free-range conditions or from animals that had received insect meal in their diet. On a scale of 1–7, the respondents gave 5.11 points for the meat of free-range animals, but significantly less points (3.69) for the meat of animals that had consumed insect meal. However, free-ranging animals also consume insects and other small animals, of which the origin is not known, while the insects used as feed are produced under controlled conditions. The consumers’ decisions are affected by their attitudes: free-range is associated with animal welfare, but mentioning insects creates feelings of aversion and antipathies. In conclusion, to increase the consumers’ acceptance of meat products from animals reared on insect meal, consumers need to be made aware of the various benefits of insect meal in animal feed. ABSTRACT: Insect protein production requires much less land, feed, and water, and thus has a much smaller ecological footprint than animal protein production, which is important for reducing global warming. Poultry, pigs, and fish consume insects in nature, so insect meal could be a good substitute for soybean and fishmeal as a protein source in diets. The aim of this study was to examine consumer opinion on meat that originated from animals whose diet contained insect meal. The study was conducted in Hungary in 2020 (N = 414). On a scale of 1–7, respondents gave much lower scores (3.96) to this product than that which originated from a free-range system (5.11; p < 0.001). Male, more highly educated, and 30–39 year-old respondents gave significantly higher scores than other groups. The most important factor in accepting insect meal in animal feed was “no risk”, while the least important factor was “replacement of Genetically Modified (GM) soybeans”. Since free-range animals also consume insects, the difference in the attitude of respondents was based on their aversion to insects, while accepting free-range as the best animal welfare system. Thus, more emphasis should be placed on the benefits of insect meal in animal feed in order to bring about awareness and acceptance.