The acclaimed Mediterranean diet and French gastronomy compete: the European Union’s food safety agency says it is safe to eat worms.
The Parma agency launched a scientific opinion on the yellow worm on Wednesday, giving it approval. Researchers claim that worms, whole or in flour, are a high-protein snack or an ingredient for other meals.
Allergic reactions can occur, especially depending on the type of food that the insects have, whose scientific name is the molten Tenebrio larvae. But overall, “the committee concludes that (the new food) is safe based on the proposed uses and use levels.”
With this, The European Union supports the ingestion of worms, as the United Nations has already done. In 2013, the FAO defended edible insects as a low-fat, low-protein food for humans, pets and animals, noting that it is good for the environment and helps alleviate hunger.