EU regulation comes into effect
Crickets are now considered food
From Tuesday, house crickets can be used in food in the EU. Then a new EU law comes into force, according to which the insects, also known as house crickets, can be frozen, dried or used as a powder.
Published: 41 minutes ago
From Tuesday, house crickets can be used in food in the EU. Then a new EU law comes into force, according to which the insects, also known as house crickets, can be frozen, dried or used as a powder. (archive image)
Two days later, this also applies to larvae of the grain mold beetle. Similar rules already exist for migratory locusts and larvae of the flour beetle (Tenebrio molitor, yellow mealworm). “There are currently eight other applications for the approval of insects as food,” says the European Commission.
According to the EU Commission, manufacturers have to apply for an approval for every insect they want to put on the market. If insects are used in food, this must be labelled: the species name must appear in the list of ingredients. “Food safety is the top priority for the Commission,” said a spokeswoman for the German Press Agency. As for the insects, the authority can confirm that they are safe.
Insects are considered nutritious and rich in protein and are part of the common diet in many countries. They can also contribute to a sustainable diet, since they can be bred in a relatively resource-saving manner. However, there may be risks for allergy sufferers. Appropriate allergy information is mandatory, emphasizes the EU Commission.
“No one is being forced to eat insects,” the commission said on Twitter. Everyone can decide for themselves whether or not to buy food made from or with insects.
In some EU countries, including Germany and Austria, snacks and pasta with insects have been on sale for some time. There are transition rules for this. The European Court of Justice had ruled that whole insects do not fall under the old rules for novel foods. However, the old specifications have now been revised, and since 2018 whole insects have also been considered novel foods and have to go through the corresponding approval process.
In Switzerland, house crickets, mealworms in the larval stage and European migratory locusts have been available for human consumption since 2017.
(SDA)