Anyone for cricket? Brussels approves crickets as an edible insect

Brussels approves crickets as a third edible insect in the EU after worms and locusts

The European Commission announced this Friday, February 11, the approval of the commercialisation of crickets as an edible insect food within the European Union. This makes it the third insect to be included in this category, after having given the green light last July to the mealworm, and the locust, last November.
Domestic crickets – acheta domesticus – can be consumed dry as an appetiser, or as an ingredient in a series of foods in powder form, such as protein products, biscuits, pasta products, or frozen.
Their consumption was approved by experts of the Member States on December 8. Brussels proposed its authorisation after learning of the strict assessment of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), which concluded that the consumption of this insect is ‘safe’.
Products containing this new food will be properly labelled to point out any possible allergic reaction. Its authorisation for food consumption is part of the EU strategy ‘From farm to table’, and seeks to identify alternative protein sources to promote change towards a more sustainable food system.
Since the EU’s novel food regulation came into force in January 2018, EFSA has received a high volume of applications covering a wide variety of food sources. As they reported when publishing information on the mealworm, these have included plant-derived products, algae, non-native fruits, and edible insects,
Studies conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), cited in the community Executive’s statement, defend that insects are part of the daily diet of millions of people in the world, and that they are a nutritional source, high in fat and protein, as reported by 20minutos.es.
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