In addition to the "general food hygiene rules", the production and marketing of insects as food in Europe is covered by the "novel food" legislation.This legislation applies to all categories of food that were not significantly used for human consumption in the European Union before 15 May 1997.
Currently, four authorisations for edible insects and two implementing regulations of the European Commission have been published in the EU Official Journal.
1.
In June 2021, the dried yellow mealworm ( Tenebrio molitor) was authorised at EU level as the first insect food product. Following the 2nd positive EFSA opinion (July 2021), the European Commission authorised on 15 November 2021 the dried and frozen migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) as Novel Food.
2.
On 8 and 11 February 2022, following the 3rd and 4th EFSA opinions, the European Commission authorised frozen, dried and powdered yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and also published the first authorisation for dried, ground and frozen house cricket (Acheta domesticus). The authorisations came into force on 28 February and 2 March 2022, respectively.
3.
Following the positive EFSA opinion in July 2022, the European Commission published the implementing regulation authorising frozen and freeze-dried formulations of small mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) as Novel Food on 6 January 2023. The authorisation came into force on 26 January 2023.
On 4 January 2023, the European Commission also issued a regulation authorising partially defatted whole house crickets (Acheta domesticus) as Novel Foods. This authorisation is the second for this species and follows the EFSA opinion published in May 2022 and entered into force on 24 January 2023.
In several EU countries, after the entry into force of regulation 2015/2283, insect producers were allowed to continue marketing their products even without EU authorisation.
Indeed, Article 35(2) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 provided for a transitional measure allowing products that had already been lawfully marketed in an EU member state before 1 January 2018 ( i.e. the start date of the new legislation ) to continue to be marketed in that particular country for a certain period and under certain conditions but they had to submit a new application in accordance with the novel food legislation by 02 January 2020 at the latest.
However, there has been no control on this.
The standards for importing insects as food into the EU are set out in the official control regulation (EU) 2017/625. In March 2019, the EU legislature adopted five EU regulations setting import conditions for animals and goods for human consumption. These documents also specifically address the case of insects as food, including compliance with EU food and food safety rules, and also list countries that are allowed to import.
On 11 June 2019, King Willem-Alexander (NL ) opened the world's largest and most advanced insect farm in Bergen-op-Zoom, known as Protix, a company that manufactures insect-based livestock and fish feed as well as dog fod and biscuits., insect oil for dog food, puree for wet dog food and chicken food.
According to Protix, insect proteins are the solution to many of today's problems. Conventional protein sources such as soy and meat use large amounts of land and water, and often have a serious impact on ecosystems. Insects are nature's greatest upcyclers. They can convert fruit and vegetable waste into valuable body mass very quickly and with low impact on resources: a tonne of insects can be grown in 14 days on a land area of just 20 square metres.
On 28.04.2022, Protix obtained authorisation to breed and process grasshoppers, house crickets and mealworms for human consumption.
Simultaneously, Protix has entered into a licensing agreement with Belgian company M-Food ( ôfounded in 2018 ) that allows it to be the first, in Belgium, to manufacture insects for human consumption.
M-Food is building a chain from farmer to processor in Belgium and has already posted a vacancy ôon the LANDBOUWLEVEN website in April 2019 "Farmers wanted to grow insects for humane consumption"
Incidentally, the Flemish Government, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries released in 2021 a manual with guidelines for insect breeders and processors.
The recent fuss surrounding the authorisation to Cricket-One to process domestic crickets is nothing new. Your pets, chickens, horses and other livestock have been eating insects for years without knowing it and you might too.
It is very worrying that EFSA issues positive opinions for use and processing of the insects cited above, the EU grants corresponding authorisations and ignores the many studies that warn and show that insects can cause parasitic diseases and cause severe allergic reactions.
The attached link contains a video from the BBC on insects. We better get used to the idea. Insects will be on the menu in the West anyway.
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