The European Union has approved the eating of insects. According to Firstpost, flourworms and house crickets have so far been allowed to be sold, but eight other options remain under consideration. The EU said the decision “will have a positive impact on the environment, the health of citizens and the economic situation”.
The European Union will soon have the option to eat all sorts of spider bugs for lunch and dinner instead of chicken. According to Firstpost, the EU has approved the consumption of four types of insects. So far it has allowed to sell mealworms and house crickets, but eight more options remain under consideration.
The maggots will be sold as powder, paste, as well as dried and frozen, while the crickets will be sold as partially defatted powder. It is claimed that the larvae can be consumed whole or as a powdered addition to snacks and noodles.
According to Retaildetail.eu, the EU will require manufacturers to mark the presence of insect ingredients on packaging. This will be done for those allergic to crustaceans, shellfish and dust mites.
According to Forbes, the decision will open the way for insect products to hit shelves across the EU.
So far, these products are only sold in supermarkets in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark due to a special interpretation of a law from 1997, which considers all previously unknown food as “new”.
According to Forbes, mealworms contain as much protein, vitamins and minerals as fish or meat. And Politico magazine noted that mealworms taste “very much like peanuts”. They can be salted, dipped in chocolate, sprinkled on salads and even added to soup.
According to Forbes, the UN has been pushing people to eat insects since 2013, when the Edible Insects report came out, to address the so-called food security problem. According to Forbes, meat alternatives represent a growing market.
As the portal notes, more than 2.5 billion people consume insects every day, but the cuisine has not caught on in Western countries.
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