Posted on 10/21/2022 6:12:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Mealworms and crickets are edging closer to EU plates following the latest round of approvals, as commercialization of alternative products containing protein-packed insects is on the horizon in Europe. According to the insect umbrella organization backing the burgeoning industry, products could be available as soon as next year, unlocking a whole ranch of nutritional, sustainable food.
The International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) welcomes the European Union Member States authorities’ green light to the draft implementing regulations from the European Commission, aiming to authorize the commercialization of frozen and freeze-dried formulations of the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) and partially-defatted house cricket (Acheta domesticus).
“These two edible insect species are proposed to be used as an ingredient in several food products, among those, they may be used for bread, cereal and protein bars, pasta products, meat analogs and many more,” Alice Grassi, IPIFF communication manager tells FoodIngredientsFirst.
The favorable opinion from Member States will lead to the authorization of these products in the next few weeks.
Growing acceptance As dietary habits are rapidly changing and the willingness of consumers to try new protein-rich products is increasing, edible insects are gaining more interest all over Europe, notes Grassi. Although increasing the western appetite for insects may still be a challenge.
“At first, European consumers might be intimidated by the novelty of these products and the fact that they have never tried them,” she explains. “We believe that consumer acceptance is and would be driven by a change in socio-cultural aspects, product demand and accessibility.”
Future food will include insect-based products. They can be made to look like burgers, sausages and a plethora of other alternative protein analogs. (Credits: Ynsect). Future food, including on restaurant menus, supermarket shelves and even online, will include insect-based products. They can be made to look like burgers, sausages and a plethora of other alternative protein analogs.
“The more edible insect products can be found in our supermarkets and restaurants, the more Europeans can discover different recipes and tastes in their diet and understand their environmental and nutritional benefits,” Grassi underscores.
“The novel food authorizations will also play a constructive role in shaping the market, facilitating access to insect-based products in EU countries,” she says.
Improved sustainability Connected to the theme of sustainability, insects can contribute to reducing the burden of food waste, being fed with underused agri-food by-products like vegetables, fruits and starch origin, or food no longer destined for human consumption (e.g., unsold products from supermarkets and bakeries as well as discarded waste from the food manufacturing process).
“Thanks to their bioconversion properties, insects convert these ‘low-value’ materials into protein-rich and high-quality products, which are then reintroduced into the food chain,” Grassi explains.
“Thus, the local production of such food ingredients not only strengthens agri-food circularity - but also improves regional self-sufficiency.”
“Being produced from farmed insects, the sustainability aspect is given by its reduced environmental footprint and high efficiency in terms of water and land footprint,” she continues.
Because of the vertical farming techniques implemented, insect farming requires less arable land as insect farmers use ‘crates’ aligned vertically to rear their insects. Most commonly, farmed species can absorb the water they need from their substrates.
Companies who submitted the applications The favorable opinion from Member States will lead to the authorization of these products in the next few weeks.
Two edible insects’ applications as Novel Food have been submitted by Ynsect Netherlands (formerly Protifarm) and Vietnam-based company Cricket One.
As part of the Novel Food procedures, these two applications received a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority in May (for Cricket One) and in July (for Ynsect Netherlands).
The latest approval of the house cricket represents another step toward the authorization of additional products derived from this edible insect species, following the first Novel Food authorization on house cricket in March.
In the case of lesser mealworms, this decision would lead to the first Novel Food authorization of this insect food product.
“According to the Novel Food procedures, the implementing acts are expected to be adopted before the end of the year. The authorizations then will give the right to the producer to commercialize the products on the European market.”
“Following this green light, the draft of the implementing regulations will need to be adopted by the European Commission’s College of Commissioners. After this approval, the implementing regulations will become an actual authorization,” Grassi concludes.
Ÿnsect is building the world’s largest insect farm scheduled to open at the end of the year. The French company forecasts a significant increase in demand for insects as a healthy alternative to meat.
Fish really like um, so must be ok
Suggest ALL WEF MEMBERS eat this crap for 5 years, then tell us how good it is.
And, how do they get rid of the parasites in the insects? Anyone have answers?
Steers, hogs, lamb and chicken are sustainable too.
Satan wants us to murder our offspring and eat bugs. Check and double check.
I’ll feed them to chickens, and eat chicken.
Insects contain chitin, which is not digestible by humans. It will cause inflammatory issues in people and especially in people that already have gi tract problems.
Its not a constant, long-term viable source of nutrition for people. If you feed it to the animals that can handle it, and then we eat those animals, it can work out.
Like hey, what we’ve been doing for thousands of years....
Too bad I am allergic to anything with 6-8 legs unless they are seafood.
Kinda of like Pharaoh and the baby Hebrew boys.
When the WEF elites and globalists start practicing what they preach and lead by example, then they have cause to push this crap.
Until and unless THEY are willing to eat the bugs they are pushing on us, no dice.
They need to find a way to make ‘food’ from those orange lady bugs (not the Good ones, that are RED and have only a few spots) and Box Elder Bugs.
If they need some, I’ve been sweeping BOTH off of my porch and south-facing house walls for a month, already!
Japanese Beetles, too! And Iris Borers!
All of these ‘invasive’ and ‘imported’ USELESS bugs NEED to go!
Eat them first, Globalists!
Eat all of the English Sparrows you want, too! Make it a ‘fancy thing’ so chefs around the world will rid us of these pests!
To anyone who wants to eat insects I’d say “knock yourself out”.But make my protein sources beef...chicken...pork...eggs...milk.
Reptiles and amphibians I suspect. Preferably alive! :D
Lev 11:22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
Your globalist Demi gods will be eating prime rib while everyone else gets maggots. It’s for the earth didn’t you know?
Awww, poor little things. Clearly this is cruelty to worms. Evil people hurting creatures that can’t fight back.
Go glue yourself to the wall. to protest this. Ooooops!!! Horses were killed to make that glue. And who knows what poor little critters died when that wall was built.
Just gag yourself with a spoon.
And fish. Feed bugs to the perch in your fish pond. Wait til Friday! Have deep fried perch and french fries! Drink beer! A better solution than eating bugs!
Too much chitin causes deadly impactions, so nope.
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