- Insects in food: New EU regulation allows house crickets and grain mold beetles
- rejection at many consumers – Bakers start awareness campaigns
- Overview: These insects are allowed – already before January 2023 admission of several species
- This is how consumers recognize Larvae, beetles and co. on the product packaging
According to a new EU regulation, since January 2023 the house cricket and the grain mold beetle permitted in certain forms in foods. According to the EU Commission, this should be a Alternative to livestock farmingg and contribute to a healthier diet, since insects are common lots of protein and fiber contain. But environmental protection and protein are apparently not an argument for many consumers to switch to larvae and Beetle – the disgust factor dominates in many places. Bakers, among others, have launched large campaigns in which they declare that they do not use insect meal. In the meantime, many customers are asking themselves: How do I even know now whether insects in one product in the supermarket are included?
Insects in food: These animals are allowed – consumers have known certain products for a long time
Not just since the beginning of 2023 Insects in food permitted in Germany and Europe. Many products in supermarkets already contain insects – several popular branded sweets, but also household products and cosmetics are affected. That’s how the substance becomes shellac from the Excretions of the paint scale insects extracted that feed on resin and used for products that should shine and not dissolve too quickly. The resin, together with pieces of bark and leftover lice, is processed into shellac by boiling, washing and grinding. You can see shellac on the ingredient list under the name of “E904”. Also the dye “Carmine” out of cooked scarlet scale insects is common – at groceries can be found under the name “E120”.
In January 2021, the European Commission Meal Beetle (Tenebrio molitor), dried in the larval stage, is the first insect officially authorized for the European market. In November 2021 came the Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria, frozen/dried/powdered). The house cricket was not only approved this year, but already in February 2022, in frozen, dried and powdered form. In January 2023 the Domestic cricket (Acheta domesticus) as a partially defatted powder as well as the Grain mold beetle or buffalo worm (Alphitobius diaperinus, frozen/paste/dried/powdered) permitted.
In the EU must Manufacturer According to the EU, one for all insects Permit apply for. For a few years, the “approval is linked to the manufacturer who submitted the application”. The commission describes this as part of the rules on “novel foods”. These are “foods that are in the EU were not consumed to any significant extent before May 1997“. Everything will strictly scientifically tested and assessed that the manufacturers themselves would have to provide a lot of data Allergies, usage levels, manufacturing and specific properties of the product submit. According to the Commission, no novel food should pose a “safety risk to human health”. The member states would also have to agree. Germany has always done this, they say.
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This is how customers recognize insects in food – you should pay attention to these designations
Many people are standing insects in their food extremely skeptical across from. This not only has something to do with a certain disgust factor, but also with something vegetarian or vegan diet and allergies. Therefore, since the debate arose, more and more are being asked consumer the question, by which they recognizeif Larvae, beetles and co. in particular products in the supermarket put. Behind this is the fear that manufacturers secretly add insect flour or could not identify it clearly. But according to the EU Commission, these concerns are unjustified.
“Foods that contain insects must have that in their List of ingredients clear and understandable list. Consumers must not be misled; they must be able to decide for themselves whether they Buying and consuming food made from or containing insects or not,” it says clearly. That’s how he has to German and Latin names (For the house cricket approved in February 2022, for example “Acheta domesticus (house cricket, house cricket)”. Also must clearly marked be, in what form the insects are mixed in are, for example as a paste or powder.
Likewise, “Allergy information in the immediate vicinity of the list of ingredients” appear. Because according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) “particularly in subjects with already existing Allergy to crustaceans, dust mites and in some cases molluscs” lead to allergic reactions. Also can possibly gluten be contained via the insect food. So who afraid of insects in food can simply take a look at the list of ingredients.
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