Agricultural News
OSU Researchers Test the Fear Factor of Food Preferences in the May Edition of the FooDS Survey
Wed, 16 May 2018 15:08:17 CDT
Most people are revolted at the thought of eating bugs, but if you think about it, a number of foods we consider ordinary might also be considered distasteful if we weren’t so used to eating it. Consider honey, which is akin to honeybee vomit, or oysters, which frankly looks like giant balls of snot. If many people regularly consume oysters, might they one day consider crickets or sago worms an ordinary food?
Researchers at Oklahoma State University set out to test this in the ad hoc portion of the April and May edition of the Ag-Economics Department’s Food Demand Survey (FooDS). This month, surveyors identified people who have never consumed crickets or oysters and then asked them the extent to which they would consider eating the food on a regular basis if they liked the taste and believed it safe to eat.
According to the survey, the 765 participants who had never eaten crickets or oysters were just as willing to eat cricket-based foods as they were willing to eat oysters. These 765 individuals dislike the idea of consuming either, yet it is clear that many other individuals do indeed like eating oysters. The survey suggests that if oysters have become a standard food for many, perhaps insect-based foods might one day as well.
In response to the regular portion of the survey, participants indicated their willingness-to-pay (WTP) decreased for all food products, compared to one month ago, except for steak and hamburger. WTP for chicken wings, followed by pork chops, saw the largest percent decrease among meat products compared to one month ago. WTP for all meat products is higher than one year ago, except for chicken breast.
Survey results also show that expenditures on food eaten at home increased 3.08% from April to May and expenditures on food purchased away from home increased 6.66%. Consumers expect an increase in beef, chicken, and pork prices compared to one month ago. Consumers plan to buy less beef, chicken, and pork compared to last month. Plans to eat out increased compared to last month.
To take a look at the complete summary report of this month’s edition of the FooDS Survey for more highlights, click or tap here.
Source - Oklahoma State University
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