Americans have an aversion towards invertebrates and insects and fail to acknowledge their environmental and health value (Kellert 1993). The disgust towards insects while in nature prevents most Americans from eating them. People associate insects with the outdoors, dirt and therefore do not consider insects food.
Egolf et al. (2018) utilize the Food Disgust Scale (FDS), to measure picky eating via the association of germs with food items. The FDS also scores and numbers any food borne illnesses correlated to the food. The scale is relevant because it can be used to understand why someone may have negative emotions towards particular items in relation to whether or not that food made them sick. Additionally, Egolf et al. (2018) examines texture rejection, where people are not willing to eat foods because of texture. Although the FDS does not specifically measure where insects fall on the scale, it provides a framework. Insects are often viewed as inedible because they are connected to the concept of disease. Some people may not want to eat insects because they do not want to get sick. Even if an individual has never eaten an insect that caused them to be sick, they will still believe that it can cause illness.
Deroy (2015) highlights the distaste for insects is due to cognitive choices, and associations. The association of flies with waste has led people to be unwilling to consume fly larvae, for example. Western individuals, in particular, are less inclined to consume insects as they have been socialized to view all insects as carriers of diseases (Francesco et al. 2018; Sogari et al. 2023; Jensen and Lieberoth 2019).
Chan (2019) research shows a connection between mindfulness and sustainable eating habits. Despite the fact that insects are a more sustainable source of food, the study revealed practicing mindfulness can actually result in fewer people being willing to consume insects as food. Participants who were aware that insects were the main source of protein in their dish were reluctant to consume the food. Chan (2019) attributes this reluctance to people’s negative perception of insects, which is often linked to concerns about disease.