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First Insect to be approved as a Novel Food
Would you like Mealworms with that Sir?
Yes, you read that correctly...Following the endorsement by EU Member States in April 2021, a Regulation authorising dried yellow mealworm (the larvae of the beetle
Tenebrio molitor) as a novel food, will be adopted by the EC Commission in the coming weeks.
The eating of insects is not a new thing and in parts of the world insects are regularly eaten as an alternative source of protein, however this is the first insect to be approved as a novel food. The Novel Food Regulation helps food businesses to bring innovative foods to the market, whilst ensuring their safety. It concerns any food that has not been consumed ‘to a significant degree’ in the EU before 15 May 1997. This particular novel food is intended to be used as a whole, dried insect in snacks or as an ingredient in food products.
So is it safe?
Yes - Novel foods can only be authorised if they do not pose a risk to human health. The product has been through a stringent scientific assessment* by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which concluded yellow mealworm was safe under the uses and use levels proposed.
Are there any health issues?
Potentially yes. EFSA found that the consumption of yellow mealworm may potentially lead to allergic reactions, particularly in people with pre-existing allergies to crustaceans and dust mites. Additionally, there may be a risk from gluten from the feed that the insects have consumed. This would be captured in any labelling on products that contain the insects.
Potential benefits
The FAO indicates that insects are highly nutritious and a healthy food source with high fat, protein, vitamin, fibre and mineral content, and are emerging as an alternative solution to animal protein. The consumption of insects is seen to contribute positively to the environment and to health and livelihoods. Insect-based proteins are considered a key area of research under the EU’s research and innovation funding programme ‘Horizon Europe’ which tackles climate change.
There are currently 11 additional applications for insects to be evaluated by EFSA, so it is possible we will see more being approved as novel foods.
14/05/2021
References:
* Safety of dried yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larva) as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6343
Approval of first insect as Novel Food https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/novel_food/authorisations/approval-first-insect-novel-food_en
