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EU approves insects for human consumption
Bon appétit!
https://moneywise.com/life/food/eu-j...ental-benefitsThe EU just approved insects for human consumption with plenty of 'environmental benefits' — are mealworms the low-cost and sustainable answer to soaring meat prices?
Market research suggests cricket casserole could soon be a more common menu item
By Jing Pan
Mar. 03, 2023
If you are an adventurous eater looking for alternative protein sources, the European Union has some good news.
Earlier this month, the European Commission authorized the larval form of Alphitobius diaperionus (lesser mealworm) for human consumption. The Commission also gave the green light to have partially defatted powder of Acheta domesticus (house cricket) sold on the market as so-called “novel food.”
To be sure, these little creatures may not be appetizing for everyone. And the EU is not forcing this delicacy on every dinner table.
“It is up to consumers to decide whether they want to eat insects or not,” the body says.
As for the approval’s economic impact, the EU points out that insects as food is “a very small niche market” for its member states.
But the market for edible insects — both in the U.S. and globally — is growing faster than you might think.
Multiple market research reports show that the global edible insects market is on the rise with one report forecasting the market will be worth over $9 billion by 2030 — and North American companies and consumers are expected to play large part in that growth.
And it could be good for the environment.
“The environmental benefits of rearing insects for food are founded on the high feed conversion efficiency of insects, less greenhouse gas emissions, less use of water and arable lands,” the EU states, “and the use of insect-based bioconversion as a marketable solution for reducing food waste.”
According to a February article from food and lifestyle site Modern Farmer, edible insects such as mealworms create less than 1% of the amount of greenhouse gases that cows do.
“If a family of four got their protein from insects one day a week for over a year, they would save about 750,000 liters of water,” Dr. Jarrod Goldin, co-founder of Entomo Farms, which produces crickets in Canada, told Modern Farmer.
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