Because you won't eat "cricket flour" unknowingly in bread or chocolate
The European Commission has given the green light to the use of cricket powder in food products.
Will we eat crickets without knowing it? The green light from the European Commission for a “cricket flour” has led some consumers to fear that they might unknowingly consume it by eating products purchased at the supermarket. But don’t worry: this cricket powder won’t be added to bread or biscuits without notifying the consumer.
• What has the European Commission authorized?
Eating crickets is nothing new in Europe: in February 2022 the European Commission had already given the go-ahead for the marketing of domestic crickets (from their same name domestic purchased) in dried, frozen or powdered form for human consumption. What has changed in January 2023 is that it is also possible to market cricket powder in defatted (i.e. reduced fat) form.
Brussels has approved the request presented by the Vietnamese company Criquet One, which will be the only one for the time being capable of marketing this defatted “cricket flour”.
• In which products can it be used?
This powder can be used in the manufacture of food products. The European authorization mentions in particular bread, biscuits, cereal bars, sauces, pizzas, meat substitutes, soups or even chocolate sweets. But don’t expect to see this new ingredient spreading everywhere: it remains an expensive ingredient and, above all, little appreciated by European consumers. The use of “cricket flour” will be very marginal in the food industry.
• Is it a dangerous ingredient?
“Cricket flour” is not a problem for human consumption. In its scientific opinion, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated that defatted cricket powder does not present any danger. However, EFSA has clarified that its consumption could potentially cause allergic reactions in people allergic to crustaceans, molluscs and dust mites, recommending further research on the subject.
• Will we eat crickets without knowing it?
No, not at all: European standards are very strict when it comes to food. The presence of cricket powder must be indicated in the ingredients list. As indicated by the European Commission, the mention “partially defatted Acheta domesticus (house crickets) powder” should be present on the labeling of food products containing it, as well as its allergenic potential.
Even the maximum doses for the use of this new ingredient have been set by Brussels. For example, there cannot be more than 3 grams of cricket powder per 100 grams in cereal bars or no more than 1.5 grams in biscuits.
• Is this the first insect allowed?
It is not the first insect to obtain European approval for human consumption. The European Commission has already authorized the mealworm and the migratory locust. Above all, in practice, the production of insects for human consumption remains marginal. It is mainly on the animal feed side that insect farms are looking. Transformed into nutrients, they are destined for pet food or aquaculture.
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