International Journal of Food Design - Volume 7, Issue 1, 2022

This work set out to show that the novel problem-solving process called design thinking (DT) can advance the acceptance and consumption of insects as food. The DT approach involving a multidisciplinary team comprised three stages: (1) an exploratory evaluation through questionnaires to raise consumer empathy, (2) an ideation stage to enable visualization and rapid prototyping, which resulted in the creation of twelve food products using mealworm larva and cricket flour and (3) an experimentation stage, where the five most promising ideas (packaging and products) were selected and tested on consumers. Four consumption trends were identified: vegetarianism (intellectual), challenge (social relationship), luxury (emotional) and sport (health). Prototypes corresponding to consumer needs were developed. After identifying the positive and negative effects elicited by the prototypes, the most promising ones were tested. Exposing consumers to small manageable steps during a food experience with insects dispelled false beliefs and overcame revulsion. The outcomes of this study are encouraging for the development of innovation in the food industry, favouring the acceptance of new foods and supporting the provision of healthier food choices for the general western population. These findings can also help companies adapt to the growing scarcity of resources and improve the value of innovations they offer the market.

Marathon running is a physical and mental activity. Runners consume high-energy food products to fill their glycogen stores for maintaining their marathon performance. This makes consuming carbohydrates, mainly in the form of energy gels, an essential part of marathon running. While previous research demonstrates significant physiological effects of these high-energy food products on performance, their psychological effects, which could benefit from and shed light on food design studies, have been underexplored. This article explores these effects with two participant studies, a narrative study (n = 10) and a survey (n = 39). The inquiries start with understanding the psychology of marathon runners and examining the psychological effects of energy gels on marathon running. The results showed that the marathon runners follow a self-identified energy gel consumption strategy during marathon running. Several qualities of energy gels influence these strategies and the meanings marathon runners attach to energy gel consumption. The findings elucidated a novel area of food design research by unveiling the nature of the non-nutritional interactions between runner and energy gels consumed in marathon running.

While over the last century food systems have become more controlled, standardized and globalized, the plants and animals that form the basis of our food production still show seasonal fluctuation. The growth and reproductive cycles of these organisms follow seasonal weather patterns, including changes in rainfall, light exposure and temperature. Food designers should consider such aspects of seasonality, as they affect the availability and quality of the ingredients that they work with. Moreover, seasonality brings unique possibilities and challenges that can inspire new and interesting solutions for culinary applications, food propositions and social events. In addition, seasonality can be a goal to aspire to, because it can provide benefits in the domains of sustainability, health and well-being. For these reasons, we propose that, instead of following the current trend of deseasonalization, food designers can contribute to reconcile our food systems with the seasons. This will provide an excellent opportunity for enabling more sustainable, meaningful and healthy rhythms of growing, processing, preparing and consuming food.

Review of: Food Design Small: Reflections on Food, Design and Language, Sonja Stummerer and Martin Hablesreiter (2020)

Berlin and Boston, MA: Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 223 pp., p/bk, £30.50

ISBN 1866-248X 978-3-11-067975-5