Approval of fourth insect as a Novel Food
Are there any health issues?
According to EFSA, food allergies represent an important public health problem, affecting approximately 2–4% of the adult population and up to 8–9% of children.
The EU rules on food labelling identify a list of 14 allergens that need to be labelled (e.g. eggs, milk, fish, crustaceans etc…). This is to allow people living with food allergies to be informed on whether products contain ingredients they are sensitive to.
EFSA concluded that the consumption of the evaluated insect proteins may potentially lead to allergic reactions. It may particularly be the case in subjects with pre-existing allergies to crustaceans, dust mites and in some cases molluscs. Additionally, allergens from the feed (e.g. gluten) may end up in the insect that is consumed.
Therefore, the authorisation of this novel food clarifies this issue and lays down specific labelling requirements regarding allergenicity.
Are there other pending files? Can we expect more insects authorised in the EU?
Currently, there are 8 applications for insects intended to be marketed in different forms, which are subject to a safety evaluation by EFSA.
https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/novel-food/authorisations/approval-insect-novel-food_en