Exploring the Future of Edible Insects in Europe

Abstract

The effects of population increase and food production on the environment have prompted various international organizations to focus on the future potential for more environmentally friendly and alternative protein products. One of those alternatives might be edible insects. Entomophagy, the practice of eating insects by humans, is common in some places but has traditionally been shunned in others, such as European countries. The last decade has seen a growing interest from the public and private sectors to the research in the sphere of edible insects, as well as significant steps forward from the legislative perspective. In the EU, edible insects are considered novel foods, therefore a specific request and procedure must be followed to place them in the market; in fact, until now, four requests regarding insects as a novel food have been approved. Insects could also be used as feed for livestock, helping to increase food production without burdening the environment (indirect entomophagy). Market perspectives for the middle of this decade indicate that most of the demand will be from the feed sector (as pet food or livestock feed production). Undoubtedly, this sector is gaining momentum and its potential relies not only in food, but also in feed in the context of a circular economy.

Keywords: acceptance; alternative protein; cricket; entomophagy; grasshopper; locust; mealworm; neophobia; novel food; sustainability.

Figure 1

Novel food (NF) authorization process. * This amount of time can be longer if the EFSA requests additional information from the applicant. ** The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed. ^1,2 Acheta domesticus (Belgian Insect Industry Federation—Belgium; Cricket One—Vietnam). ³ Locusta migratoria (Belgian Insect Industry Federation—Belgium). ⁴ Apis mellifera (Finnish Beekeepers’ Association—Finland). ⁵ Alphitobius diaperinus (Proti-Farm Holding NV—the Netherlands). ⁶ Hermetia illucens (Enorm Biofactory A/S—Denmark). ^7,8,9 Tenebrio molitor (Nutri’Earth—France; Belgian Insect Industry Federation—Belgium; Ynsect—France). ¹⁰ Gryllodes sigillatus (SAS EAP Group—Saint-Orens-de-Gameville, France). ^11,12 Tenebrio molitor (SAS EAP Group—France; Protix Company—the Netherlands). ¹³ Acheta domesticus (Protix Company, Fair Insects BV—Dongen, the Netherlands). ¹⁴ Locusta migratoria (Protix Company, Fair Insects BV—Dongen, the Netherlands).