The European Commission has clarified that no new labelling regulations are planned for edible insects in response to parliamentary questions by MEPs. The questions came after the EU legalised certain bug species for use in food production amid an aggressive push to normalise insect eating to combat climate change and reduce meat consumption.
The Commission specified that all food containing insect ingredients must specify the type of insects included within it in line with current food safety rules, with no plans to amend food labelling standards in light of the decision. EU officials added that while they were aware of a campaign by the World Economic Forum to lobby for insect consumption, it was not a factor in their decision-making.
The Commission was responding to separate questions by Charlie Weimers (Sweden Democrats) and Dutch MEP Robert Roos (JA21), who had raised concerns that food containing insects would not be advertised appropriately.
Since the pandemic, the topic of bug eating as a viable food substitute has become a rallying point for populists, often derided as a conspiracy theory by the powers that be. While mocked, the proposal to include bugs within the Western diet, to fight climate change, has been championed by the influential World Economic Forum and other green groups.
Last month a Polish lawmaker raised eyebrows after he linked liberal opposition figures with plans to normalise bug eating with an ongoing campaign to roll out the practice among Dutch schoolchildren.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is currently evaluating multiple species of insects for human consumption as a niche bug industry arrives in Brussels. Recent studies show 80% of people hostile to insect eating in some EU nations, with the rejection rate higher among women than men.
The EU legalised the use of insects as animal feed in 2021, overturning a previous ban, with proponents arguing that insects are a viable protein substituent and fulfilment of the EU’s Green Deal.
Despite this being regarded by some as a humorous side issue, concerns over resource scarcity and the EU’s austere climate clampdown on farmers will keep this issue returning to the political menu ahead of next year’s European elections.
