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ASSESSMENT OF CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE AND NUTRITIONAL PROFILE OF INSECT-BASED PROTEIN PRODUCTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Our food systems are under increasingly pressure to provide sufficient protein for a projected population of 9.7 billion by 2050, with a need to minimise the impact of animal production on the natural environment (FAO, 2021). Traditional animal production, the world’s dominant protein source, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (14.5% of all anthropogenic emissions), large-scale land allocation, water scarcity, and erosion of biodiversity. In this regard, edible insects as a source of sustainable protein have been scientifically recognised, and are receiving increasing policy support (FAO, 2013, 2023), advocated by the FAO in its flagship 2013 report and its 2023 update, as a potential replacement for animal proteins (van Huis et al., 2023).

Entomophagy – eating insects – is not a completely new concept in Northern Nigeria. Insects such as winged termites (Macrotermes bellicosus), grasshoppers (Zonocerus variegatus) and palm weevil larvae (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) have traditionally been eaten in some communities in Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Niger and Plateau states during their periods of availability (Banjo et al., 2021; Idowu et al., 2022; Abadua et al., 2023). These species have an excellent nutritional composition: crude protein content of 40-75% dry weight, 10-40% lipids with high polyunsaturated fatty acids content and considerable amounts of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium and B vitamins (Ojha et al., 2021).

Despite this historical consumption, commercial formalisation of insect-based foods (such as flour, protein bars, powder, meat analgues etc.) is still lacking in Northern Nigeria. The main barriers include neophobia (a fear of novelty) toward processed, new foods; lack of high-quality processed insect foods; lack of nutritional data for locally produced species; and lack of information on consumer preferences and acceptance of processed products. To realise potential commercial opportunities for insect-based protein products in this region, overcoming these challenges requires in-depth investigation of consumer acceptance, as well as detailed nutritional analysis of local insect species.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Northern Nigeria faces significant prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, as poverty, food insecurity, climate-induced disruptions in agricultural productivity and conflict displacement have disproportionately affected food security and/or dietary diversity. Stunting, wasting and anaemia – nutritional conditions that can be prevented by adequate intake of dietary protein and micronutrients – occur at some of their highest levels in the region (NBS/UNICEF, 2021). Edible insect-based, low-cost, locally produced protein supplements offer an effective local solution.

Although the nutritional potential of entomophagy is promising and consumption has a historic precedent in some locations in Northern Nigeria, there is no literature on consumer acceptance of processed, commercially formulated edible insect-based protein products in the main ethno-cultural groups of the region. In addition, there is a lack of peer-reviewed data on the composition of the common insect species consumed or collectible in Northern Nigeria, reducing the basis for scientific dietary recommendations, product formulation, and consideration by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) (Idowu et al., 2022; Ojha et al., 2021). Our study fills both these gaps.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

Aim:

To assess consumer acceptance and determine the nutritional profile of insect-based protein products among residents of Northern Nigeria.

Specific Objectives:

1. To determine the proximate composition (crude protein, fat, carbohydrate, moisture, ash, and fibre), amino acid profile, and micronutrient content (iron, zinc, calcium, and B vitamins) of selected insect-based protein products (termite flour, grasshopper powder, and palm weevil larvae).
2. To evaluate the functional properties (water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, foaming capacity, and emulsification index) of insect-based flours and compare them with soybean flour as a reference.
3. To assess consumer awareness, attitudes, previous experience, and willingness to accept and pay for insect-based protein products among a stratified sample of Northern Nigerian adults.
4. To determine the sensory acceptability (colour, aroma, texture, taste, and overall preference) of insect-based food products including an insect-flour supplemented biscuit and a protein bar  using a hedonic scale evaluation.
5. To identify sociodemographic, cultural, religious, and knowledge-based determinants of consumer acceptance of insect-based protein products in Northern Nigeria.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the nutritional composition and amino acid profile of termite flour, grasshopper powder, and palm weevil larvae available in Northern Nigeria?
2. How do the functional properties of insect-based flours compare to soybean flour?
3. What is the level of consumer awareness and acceptance of insect-based protein products among adults in Northern Nigeria?
4. What are the sensory attributes and acceptability ratings of insect-flour-supplemented food products?
5. What sociodemographic and cultural factors predict consumer acceptance or rejection of insect-based protein products in Northern Nigeria?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This research has important nutritional, business, culture and policy implications. For nutrition and public health, quality-assured data on the protein quality, amino acid profile and mineral and vitamin content of insect species from Northern Nigeria will inform the development of dietary guidelines and formulation of therapeutic foods and supplements for malnourished children and families facing food insecurities. Functional property data will be especially useful to food formulators in insect-flour formulations for products with favourable technological requirements.

For regulators and policymakers, the study offers empirical data on consumer acceptance that can be used to inform the design of food safety and labelling regulations and market development strategies for the emerging insect food industry in Nigeria. For farmers and the agricultural and food industry, the study provides opportunities for commercial investment through measurement of consumer willingness-to-pay ForFood and nutrition scientists, anthropologists, the study provides new evidence on the role of culture in food neophobia and acceptance among a diverse and under-researched consumer group. The study may help communities in Northern Nigeria to build livelihoods by formalising insect harvesting and processing as a small-scale business venture.

1.6 Scope of the Study

Four Northern Nigerian states (Kano, Kaduna, Borno, and Niger) with varying geographical locations, ethno-cultural backgrounds and religious affiliations will be involved in the study. The nutritional evaluations will be conducted using urban and peri-urban adult females (18-60 years) through stratified random sampling of at least 400 subjects. The insects to be examined include termites (Macrotermes bellicosus), grasshoppers (Zonocerus variegatus) and palm weevil larvae (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus). The nutritional composition will be determined using AOAC (2019) methods. The study will not perform in vivo evaluations for bioavailability, safety, and will not take place in the South, nor will it include insect species not readily found in the North.

1.7 Definition of Terms

Entomophagy:

The human practice of consuming insects as food; encompasses whole insects, insect products (flour, oil), and processed food items containing insect-derived ingredients.

Insect-Based Protein Products:

Food items  including flours, powders, bars, and fortified conventional foods  in which the principal protein source is derived from one or more edible insect species.

Consumer Acceptance:

The degree to which a target consumer population is willing to try, purchase, and repeatedly consume a food product; measured through sensory evaluation, attitude surveys, and willingness-to-pay assessments.

Proximate Composition:

The macronutrient breakdown of a food into crude protein, crude fat, total carbohydrate, crude fibre, moisture, and ash, typically determined using AOAC standard analytical methods.

Functional Properties:

Physicochemical characteristics of food proteins (water and oil absorption, foaming, gelation, emulsification) that determine their behaviour in food systems during processing, preparation, and consumption.

Food Neophobia:

The reluctance or refusal to eat novel or unfamiliar foods; a key psychological barrier to acceptance of insect-based protein products among populations without prior exposure.

Hedonic Scale:

A standardised sensory evaluation instrument (typically 9-point, ranging from ‘dislike extremely’ to ‘like extremely’) used to measure consumer liking and acceptability of food products.

Willingness to Pay (WTP):

The maximum price a consumer is prepared to pay for a product or service; used in this context as a market feasibility indicator for insect-based protein products.

References

Banjo, A. D., Lawal, O. A., & Songonuga, E. A. (2021). The nutritional value of fourteen species of edible insects in southwestern Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology, 5(3), 298–301.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2021). The state of food and agriculture 2021: Making agrifood systems more resilient to shocks and stresses. FAO.

Idowu, A. B., Modupe, O. M., & Olayemi, I. J. (2022). Edible insects of Nigeria: Current status, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable food systems. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 8(6), 599–615. https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2021.0070

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and UNICEF. (2021). Multiple indicator cluster survey 2021, survey findings report. NBS and UNICEF.

Ojha, S., Bekhit, A. E.-D., Grune, T., & Schluter, O. K. (2021). Bioavailability of nutrients from edible insects. Current Opinion in Food Science, 41, 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2021.04.002

van Huis, A., Itterbeeck, J. V., Klunder, H., Mertens, E., Halloran, A., Muir, G., & Vantomme, P. (2023). Edible insects: Future prospects for food and feed security (2nd ed.). FAO Forestry Paper 171. FAO.