From the timing, it could be a marketing coup for the current season of the reality show “Jungle Camp”. However, it is not even B-celebrities from the jungle who report on the foods that will be newly approved in the EU from January 24, 2023, but among others the consumer center North Rhine-Westphalia. 
Insects are considered a superfood. They are easy to grow and resource-saving and they contain a lot of nutritional values. What sounds like a jungle test has been approved in the EU since March 2022 in the form of “Crickets as a novel food”. After a thorough safety check, the EU has now approved other insects as novel foods. For my part, I once tried insect burgers as part of a trade fair. And in the form of processed patties, the whole thing tasted good anyway.
From now on, the house cricket is also approved in powder form. However, this requires the manufacturing company to be approved by the EU. In addition, the larva of the grain mold beetle has been classified by the European Union as classified as safe for consumption.
Anyone who fears that insects could end up in various dishes undeclared is wrong. There is also a labeling requirement for insects. For example, the list of ingredients could include ‘partially defatted powder of Acheta domesticus (domestic cricket)’. However, it does not need to be highlighted in bold or capital letters. It might also be too expensive to add it to any ready meal. So it will currently be something that the manufacturers advertise separately, also because of the high protein content. Even if there are no legally binding definitions for vegan or vegetarian dishes, insects should not be found in such products due to their animal origin.
The consumer advice center expresses the first demands. In addition to the declaration on the list of ingredients, one would like to achieve a clearly highlighted allergen labeling. Because: In people with allergies to crustaceans and their products, as well as to house dust mites, edible insects can also trigger allergic reactions. Binding hygiene regulations for the production and feeding of insects as well as further studies on health aspects are also being called for. In addition, manufacturers want to be asked to label germ-killing processes. This then makes it necessary, for example, to heat it up before consumption.
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