Visitors will be invited to explore their notions of food through the lens of disgust, said Dr. West, an organizational psychologist, who hopes the museum will stimulate discussion and self-reflection.

“What’s interesting is that disgust is hard-wired biologically,” Dr. West said this week over a restaurant lunch of cabbage pudding. “But you still have to learn from your surroundings what you should find disgusting.”

The idea for the exhibition was prompted, in part, by his concerns about the ecological impact of eating meat and his own environmental footprint. He said he hoped the exhibition would stimulate discussion about sustainable protein sources.

“We can’t continue the way we are now,” he said. “I was asking myself why don’t we eat insects when they are so cheap and sustainable to produce? The obstacle is disgust.”