Will we soon be eating bug cookies “without our knowledge”? The fear spread like wildfire (of crickets) on Twitter or Facebook. On January 3, 2023, the European Commission authorized the marketing of “Acheta domesticus powder (house crickets) partially defatted as a novel food”. This partially defatted cricket powder could therefore be incorporated into food. “People are going to eat insects without knowing it,” warns an article from e24, a Russian information aggregator, widely shared on social networks.
And for others, “the European Commission does not require specific labeling concerning possible allergic reactions, is indignant in a viral post on Facebook. What about people allergic to crustaceans, molluscs and dust mites? They are likely to suffer from allergic reactions. There follows the list, which takes up that of the European regulation, of products said to be “general public” and “soon to be marketed” with cricket powder such as breads and rolls, biscuits, pizzas, soups, confectionery in chocolate etc
FAKE OFF
The European Commission has indeed authorized the marketing of partially defatted cricket powder at the beginning of January. But this is neither the first nor the last little beast to pass this course. Four types of insects have been authorized for distribution as food on the European market for two years. They have previously been examined by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa), which checks the uses and potential toxicity of the products, possible contaminants in food, etc.
In 2021, the dried mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larva had obtained the sesame from the European Commission in June and the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), in frozen, dried and powdered forms, in november. The house cricket in frozen, dried and powdered forms had been given the green light in February 2022 ; the powder version of partially defatted crickets, which caused so much reaction, got it the January 3, 2023. And the January 5, 2023larvae of lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus larvae), in frozen, freeze-dried, paste and powder forms, have been authorized.
In each of its opinions concerning the placing on the market of insects, Efsa concluded that their consumption can only cause allergic reactions in people allergic to crustaceans, molluscs and dust mites, the European agency tells us. Legislators in EU member countries must take this into account with appropriate labeling if they decide to authorize the marketing of these products in turn.
A potential source of protein
The same goes for partially defatted cricket powder, contrary to what may have circulated on social networks. Information is mandatory with regard to allergens, whether for pre-packaged or non-pre-packaged foodstuffs. “In the case of a baguette or bread that comes from the bakery and is not pre-packaged, the mandatory allergen information must be available and easily accessible to consumers, explains to 20 minutes a spokesperson for the European Commission. It is up to the Member States to decide how to communicate this information to consumers. »
Whether for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) or for the European Union, insects are considered a potential source of protein that could facilitate the transition to a more sustainable food system. In his opinionthe European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considered that, under the conditions of use and the doses proposed, the consumption of partially defatted house cricket powder did not “present any danger” in general.
An ingredient that may be allergenic and therefore must be reported
The only risk, as with other insects: it can cause reactions in people allergic to crustaceans, molluscs and mites, notes Efsa. Additional allergens can also end up in the new food if they are present in the substrate with which the insects are fed. The Commission has therefore indicated in its regulations that the presence of partially defatted cricket powder must be reported. By referring to the list of allergens, it will therefore not be possible to eat “unknowingly” a pizza made from partially defatted cricket powder.
The presence of the name of the insect in the list of ingredients “is not an obligation on non-prepackaged items, specifies the spokesperson for the European Commission. However, again, it is up to the Member States to decide how to communicate this information to consumers. This presence is, on the other hand, required for prepackaged products and will be noted as “powder of Acheta domesticus (domestic crickets) partially defatted”, also indicates the Commission’s regulations.
What the French regulations say
In France, the regulations on food allergens require that the ingredient in question appear “on the labeling in the list of ingredients of the foodstuff by a clear reference to the name of the allergen”, recalls the General Directorate of Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) on his website. For prepackaged products, the presence of allergens must appear on the list of ingredients and be written in bold, italics or underlined. For non-prepackaged products, “the presence of allergens must be made in writing, near the product concerned, so that there is no doubt for the consumer”, underlines the DGCCRF.
From January 24, 2023, and for a period of five years, partially defatted cricket powder is marketed in Europe by the only Vietnamese company Cricket One, which submitted its marketing application in 2019.