Femi Ezhuthupallickal Benny on ‘Insects as Food and Feed Conference’ (IAFF 2024) organised by the Royal Entomological Society.
Before joining UCL, I have been working on Edible Insects of India for the past five years and having tasted a variety of insects including different types of hornets, bamboo borers, carpenter worms, long horn beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and silkworms, I believe ‘choice’ is the key to accepting edible insects. Had I stopped trying insects after my first time (silkworms), I wouldn’t have discovered my personal favourite edible insect (Vespa mandarinia). Insects are one of the most speciose animals on this planet, and I strongly believe among the currently documented 2000+ edible insects, there is one for every single person out there.
After attending the ‘Feeding the Future: Using Insects as Food and Feed’ debate and the ‘Insects as Food and Feed Conference’ (IAFF 2024) in October, hosted by the Royal Entomological Society, I couldn’t help but feel inspired to push for a bigger, bolder menu of edible insects in Europe. Now, you might ask, why bother expanding the insect lineup? Here’s the catch: each edible insect has a unique taste, just like any other food or type of meat. For example, even two hornets like Vespa bicolor and Vespa mandarinia (see figure below), don’t taste the same even though they both are from the same Genus. And in case you’re wondering- yes, these hornets are actually edible! In fact, they’re a delicacy in parts of Southeast Asia, especially in countries like India and Japan, where they’re highly sought after.
Why should we expand the spectrum of edible insects?
Think of it this way: we don’t eat every vegetable in the market, right? We each have our go-to favourites, maybe carrots or broccoli (or neither!). But if there were only a couple of veggies to choose from, the options would feel limited. The same applies to insects as well. Offering a broader range of edible insects means more people can find one they like, making it easier to create an acceptance for insects as a viable food option. This variety is key and is the main point I am addressing i.e., only by providing enough options can we genuinely promote insects as food for the future. The goal is to make the insect-eating experience as diverse and choice-driven as our everyday meals are.
So, what’s stopping us from expanding this insect buffet in Europe? The answer lies in regulations set aside by the European Union (EU). The EU applies the same set of regulations as that of veggies and meat to edible insects as well. It must be underscored that this is not about keeping the options limited, but making sure that what’s offered on the insect menu is as safe and nutritious as any other food item. Consequently, each new insect food must pass rigorous testing to ensure it meets safety standards. The process is a bit lengthy, but it’s there for a reason. Each insect must be thoroughly studied for potential allergens, nutritional benefits, and safe farming practices. This way, the EU can be confident that introducing insects to the food market won’t bring any unexpected health risks.
Ever wondered how many edible insects have passed this European Union’s “fit for human consumption” test? Just five. Yep, five VIP ‘insects’ have made the cut so far: Tenebrio molitor (Yellow Mealworm), Alphitobius diaperinus (Lesser Mealworm), Acheta domesticus (House Cricket), Gryllodes sigillatus (Tropical House Cricket), and Locusta migratoria (European Migratory Locust) (Conway et al., 2024).
So, why only five? I mean, globally there are more than 2000 insect species documented as edible. What’s holding up the rest of the edible insects from gracing our taste buds? Before diving into that, let’s rewind why insects as food is even a thing. With the human population ballooning like a never-ending party since the mid-20th century (thanks to healthcare and agricultural advances!), feeding everyone is getting trickier. We are officially in the “population explosion phase” as the demographers like to call it. More people means more food is needed, but here’s the tricky part: we’re fresh out of land to farm without bulldozing biodiversity, a scenario nobody’s rooting for at all.
Even if we tried expanding agriculture a bit, we’d still be dealing with climate change throwing tantrums at our already strained natural resources like land and water. And as food demand grows, so does the price, a real bad news for the poor and marginalised who are already struggling to make ends meet, putting them at the risk of malnutrition and poverty. So here we are, with a buffet of problems on our plate. The solution? Rethinking protein maybe, and the nutrient packed, low carbon impact and plentiful edible insects just might be the sustainable answer we are looking for.
What does it take to include more insects in this list?
Getting back to where we started! Why only five? In Europe, edible insects and insects-based products are considered “novel foods” (NF), which is just a fancy way of saying “food that wasn’t really a thing around here until recently.” According to EU rules, any food that didn’t have a solid track record of being eaten before May 1997 gets the “novel” label. So, while these insects might be a staple in other parts of the world, in Europe, they’re just the ‘new kids on the block’.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gave its first “official thumbs-up” on the safety of eating farmed insects, checking out potential risks like allergies and the environmental conditions of rearing them in 2015. They said that as long as insects are fed proper food (think of plant based and certain allowed animal products) they’re as safe as other protein sources (but definitely not from kitchen waste or other biowaste as long as it is about insects as ‘food’). This led to a big rule change in Europe, called Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. Now, before insects can be sold as food, they need to be approved by the European Commission. It’s like getting a stamp of approval before opening a food stand. You send in your application, the EU checks it out, and the EFSA gives its verdict within nine months. If it’s a yes, your insect snack is good to go! The regulation also tells you exactly which insects are fair game, how to label them, and makes sure they get on a special list of approved foods. So, basically, it’s all very official now and no random insect snacks are allowed! This application route is open to all food businesses, but startups are particularly encouraged to dive in, with the hope that new approvals will push this trend into the mainstream.
Here are some of the other regulations involved:
- Hygiene Standards (Regulation (EC) No 852/2004): insisting on the safe production, handling, and sale of all food products in the EU to ensure they’re free from contaminants, bacteria, or other hazards.
- Animal Feed Law (Regulation (EC) No 767/2009): setting strict rules on what insect farms can feed their stock, with no biowaste or kitchen scraps permitted to prevent health risks.
- Specific Insect Regulations (like Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/882): guidelines on processing methods, labelling, and allergen information specific to insects. For instance, if an insect is known to trigger allergies in some individuals (like crustaceans do), it has to be clearly labeled as such.
- Food Information (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011): All insect products must include full ingredient information, nutritional content, and any allergens to ensure consumers know exactly what they’re eating and can thus make informed choices.
These regulations thus re-emphasize that it’s not just about introducing a new food- it’s about building trust with the public, establishing transparency, and maintaining the same level of food safety that all traditional products undergo.
Are there more edible insects ready to hit the road (in this case EU!)?
Recent research has highlighted the list of potential edible insects that can be reared within the EU for human consumption (Conway et al., 2024) and we have 29 species with the potential to be scaled up in Europe.
Who can submit the application?
Typically, established companies or organizations are the applicants, but it is not limited to them. Anyone, be it an organisation, startup or even an individual, can submit an application to the EU for authorising an insect or insect-based food as a novel food. Some startups have already made huge strides in pushing the edible insect movement forward by successfully registering insect products with the EU. This process has helped pave the way for future applicants and is helping to reshape how Europeans view insect-based foods. So, if you’re a startup in this space, now is the time to jump in! With the right support, scientific backing (very important!), and regulatory compliance, there’s a big opportunity to make a difference and maybe even become the face of the next big protein trend.
