The larval form of the food worm beetle is safe for human consumption, the European Union watchdog said on Wednesday.
Photographer: Cyril Marcilhacy / Bloomberg
Photographer: Cyril Marcilhacy / Bloomberg
The insects have just stepped closer to European plates.
The dry yellow worm, the larval form of the worm beetle, is safe for human consumption both in its full form and as a powdered additive, the European Union Food Supervisory Authority said on Wednesday, ruling on a request of the French insect farmer EAP Group SAS – Micronutris, now known as Agronutris.
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The European Food Safety Authority’s opinion is a first step before officials consider whether to approve sales of snacks, protein bars, biscuits and other foods that contain bugs as ingredients.
The decision is a shock to insect farming, which Arcluster researchers predict will grow tenfold to exceed $ 4.1 billion globally by 2025. Insects are growing as a more sustainable source of protein. due to their low environmental impact and high nutritional value, attracting venture capital funding and the attention of giants such as Cargill Inc. and Nestle SA.
“It is a clear and important step for the whole sector,” said Antoine Hubert, co-founder of France Ynsect SAS, which grows table worms and intends to expand into sports nutrition. “It simply came to our notice then. It will increase the potential to invest in additional capacity and attract more funding to support growth. ”
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This is the first insect food risk assessment by Parma, Italy-based EFSA, which has 14 more pending bug applications – from crickets to locusts. The watchdog also said that allergic reactions to table worms are possible, so more research needs to be done.
Europe is at the forefront of the growing insect scene, identifying bugs as part of it sustainable food agenda. EU authorities have invested money in research and factories, and the block already allows fish, dogs and cats to eat insect flour.
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Feeding animals, rather than humans, has shown the greatest promise. The International Insect Platform for Food and Feed expects birds and pigs to continue to come. Of Europe’s projected production of 3 million tonnes of insect protein by 2030, only 10% will enter human food, with much of the rest in animal feed, the Brussels lobby group said.
“There are more and more opportunities to work with new sustainable ingredients for the feed industry,” said Helene Ziv, director of risk management and procurement for Cargill’s animal nutrition business, in an interview. “Insects are actually one we strongly believe in. We are very comfortable about their nutritional quality.”
Cargill has a partnership with InnovaFeed SAS to provides insect protein for fish feed, while Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. hosts a giant black soldier farm in Illinois. Nestle, the world’s largest food company, has added a range of pet food made with insects.
A handful of EU countries – including Finland, Belgium and the Netherlands – already allow the sale of foods that contain errors in stores. About 2,000 species of insects are in the diets of about 2 billion people worldwide, but many consumers in Europe will have to go beyond what Niccolo Manzoni, administrative partner in Paris Five Seasons Ventures, call it the “ick factor”.
And this is not the only obstacle. Insect feed producers need substantial funds to expand production so that it is cost-competitive, he said. The industry has a long way to go to reach the trade volumes now provided by the marine ingredients sector, said Anne Mette Baek, director of European fishmeal and fish oil producers in Copenhagen.
Protix operates the largest insect farm in Europe.
Photographer: Nick Franken / Protix BV
A company that is already heading to the dinner table is Protix BV, which operates the largest insect farm in Europe and has investors including Aqua-Spark and Rabobank’s private equity arm. The Dutch-based producer Dongen raises black soldier larvae for fish and pet food, and last summer opened an online network store that sells food made with crickets and table worms. Revenue has more than quadrupled last year, CEO Kees Aarts said in an interview.
“It’s so cool to be in charge of a whole new category of nutrition,” Aarts said. “We will see a whole new range of applications appearing. We scratch the surface of the potential that this little creature offers. ”
(Updates to Ynsect plans, the company changing its name starting with the second paragraph.)