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Insects have long been consumed as part of the diets of many Asian, African, and South American cultures. However, despite international agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations advocating the nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits of entomophagy, attitudinal barriers persist in Western societies. In Australia, the indigenous ‘bush tucker’ diet comprising witchetty grubs, honey ants, and Bogong moths is quite well known; however, in most Australian locales, the consumption of insects tends to occur only as a novelty. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the awareness and acceptance of insects as food. An online survey of 820 consumers found that 68% of participants had heard of entomophagy, but only 21% had previously eaten insects; witchetty grubs, ants, grasshoppers, and crickets were the most commonly tasted insects. Taste, appearance, safety, and quality were identified as the factors that were most likely to influence consumer willingness to try eating insects, but consumer attitudes towards entomophagy were underpinned by both food neophobia (i.e., reluctance to eat new or novel foods) and prior consumption of insects. Neophobic consumers were far less accepting of entomophagy than neophilic consumers, while consumers who had previously eaten insects were most accepting of insects as food. Incorporating insects into familiar products (e.g., biscuits) or cooked meals also improved their appeal. Collectively, these findings can be used by the food industry to devise production and/or marketing strategies that overcome barriers to insect consumption in Australia.

Anna M Crump,1 Trent E Johnson,1 Susan EP Bastian,1 Johan Bruwer,1,2 Kerry L Wilkinson1 1School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA, Australia; 2Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia Abstract: Oak plays an important role in the production of some white wines and most red wines. Yet, consumers’ knowledge of the use of oak in winemaking and their preference for oak-related sensory attributes remains unclear. This study examined the knowledge and attitudes of 1,015 Australian wine consumers toward the use of oak in winemaking. Consumers who indicated a liking of oak-aged wines (n=847) were segmented according to their knowledge of the role of oak in wine production. Four distinct consumer clusters were identified, with significantly different preferences for wine sensory attributes and opinions regarding the use of oak alternatives for wine maturation. One segment comprised more knowledgeable consumers, who appreciate and value traditional oak maturation regimes, for which they are willing to pay a premium price. However, a segment comprising less knowledgeable wine consumers was accepting of the use of oak chips, provided wine quality was not compromised. Winemakers can therefore justify the use of oak alternatives to achieve oak-aged wines at lower price points. The outcomes of this study can be used by winemakers to better tailor their wines to the specific needs and expectations of consumers within different segments of the market. Keywords: maturation, segmentation, wine, wine consumers