Professor, Department of Extension The Ohio State University Urbana, Ohio
High School students from across Ohio attended the Ohio Youth Institute, a chapter of the Global Youth Institute, designed to build awareness of global poverty and hunger issues through research and writing. Part of the experience is to learn about cultures from around the world including immersion experiences such as entomophagy. In April 2022, 45 students participated in a session focused on agricultural production culminating in a sensory experience with eight insect based snack foods. In general students liked the two types of puffed snacks followed by the two types of protein bars. The least liked snacks were whole dry roasted crickets including plain and three seasoned types. After the sensory evaluation was completed, 45% of students were either not very likely or not likely to eat insects in the next six months; 28% were very likely or likely to eat insects in the same time frame.
