Increasing the Acceptability of Insect-Based Foods as Future Foods: A Comprehensive Review of Barriers, Strategies, and Pathways to Mainstream Adoption

Edible insects are increasingly recognized for their high nutritional value and favorable environmental profile, yet their acceptance (defined as the continuum from willingness to try and purchase to repeated consumption) in Western and globalized food systems remains limited by cultural, sensory, regulatory, and economic barriers. This narrative review critically synthesizes recent advances in understanding the multidimensional determinants of consumer acceptance of insect-based foods and evaluates the technological, cultural, and policy-driven strategies proposed to overcome them, drawing on interdisciplinary evidence from food science, consumer behavior, and sustainability research. Evidence indicates that processing approaches such as protein hydrolysis, extrusion, fermentation, and encapsulation can significantly improve sensory quality, functionality, and product integration into familiar food matrices. In parallel, targeted marketing, consumer education, and transparent regulatory frameworks emerge as essential to building trust and reducing neophobia. This narrative synthesis provides a comprehensive conceptual framework for advancing the mainstream adoption of insect-based foods. The analysis highlights research gaps related to sensory optimization, traceability, sustainability assessment, and cross-cultural consumer studies, offering evidence-based directions to support the development of safe, acceptable, and nutritionally valuable insect-derived products within contemporary food systems.