Keep Away From It! Examining the Contamination Effect of Insect‐Based Foods in Retail Environments
研究发现，传统食品与昆虫基食品相邻摆放会引发消费者的厌恶感，降低其购买意愿，且增加距离或设置隔板等空间干预措施效果有限。
ABSTRACT As insect‐based foods gain more shelf space and visibility in mainstream retail settings, it becomes increasingly important to understand how these products influence consumer perceptions of adjacent conventional items. Drawing on contagion theory, we proposed that a conventional food product may be perceived as contaminated simply by its proximity to insect‐based foods, which often elicit feelings of disgust. Across six online experiments, we found that consumers reported greater disgust toward a conventional product when it was placed next to insect‐based foods, which in turn reduced their willingness to purchase it. Importantly, this effect was mediated by perceived disgust, but only among consumers who held strong negative attitudes toward entomophagy. We also tested whether spatial interventions, such as increasing the distance between products or introducing a physical partition, could mitigate this contamination effect. Contrary to expectations, these strategies were largely ineffective. Taken together, these findings highlight the robustness of the contamination effect and suggest that mere co‐placement with insect‐based foods can significantly impair consumer evaluations of nearby conventional products.