The insect-based products do not meet “the requirements of the technical standards of halal food”, authorized for Muslims, said the Qatari Ministry of Health.
Qatar, a Gulf country with a Muslim majority, reaffirmed this Thursday evening the prohibition by religion to consume insects, after the addition in early January by the European Union to its list of authorized foods of new products containing them.
The insect-based products do not meet “the requirements of the technical standards for halal food” authorized for Muslims, the Qatari health ministry said in a statement.
Gulf Cooperation Council regulations “and religious advice from relevant authorities” prohibit “the consumption of insects or proteins and supplements extracted from them,” the ministry added.
“New Foods”
According to the press release, this announcement follows “the decision of some countries to approve the use of insects in food production”.
The ministry did not name the countries in question, but the European Commission in January approved the use of mealworm larvae, also known as mealworms, and a product containing house locust in food. .
The EU has now approved four insects as “novel foods”. All products containing insects must be clearly labelled.
Mentioned in the Quran
Insects have long been an inexpensive source of protein for some communities around the world, and their consumption has expanded due to growing pressure to find alternatives to meat and other foods associated with high levels. of greenhouse gases.
Islam does not clearly prohibit the eating of insects, according to Muslim theologians. Most believe that locusts are halal or permitted, as they are mentioned in the Quran, but many Muslim theologians reject other insects as they are considered unclean.
The Ministry of Health clarified in its press release that “food compliance with halal rules was verified by Islamic bodies accredited by the ministry and by its internationally accredited laboratories”.
