The European Agency for Food Safety gives the go-ahead for the use and marketing of the larvae of this species after a study that certifies that they are a safe snack
In countries like Mexico, China, India or Thailand, the consumption of insects is common, either as an ingredient or as a main dish. In Europe, its consumption is stigmatized. Although it is common to eat prawns, oysters, prawns…, even snails, insects continue to cause a certain repulsion, despite their multiple properties.
As biology professor and food technology expert Javier Morallón points out, the protein content of insects in general is exceptionally high (between 40-50%) and they provide more usable food per kilogram than chicken or beef. They have good fats and have a high content of calcium, iron and zinc. In addition, from an environmental point of view, he highlights the sustainability of insect farming since it does not require large tracts of land or agricultural inputs such as water.
Since 2018, the distribution and sale of insects for human consumption are authorized by the EU and, little by little, insects have been included in the list of so-called ‘novel foods’ (new foods). The latest to join was the larva of the dung beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus) which, since January 5, has joined the list along with the mealworm, the migratory locust and the domestic cricket.
Dung beetles, also known as dung beetles, feed on the droppings of various animals, hence their name. They also form balls of dung -which sometimes triple their size- and hide them in underground nests to deposit their eggs in them and for future larvae to feed on this organic waste.
For its use and commercialization, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has authorized the larvae of this type of beetle, after a study that has demonstrated the safety of its consumption.
How can they be used?
As specified in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/58 of January 5, 2023, it was the French company Ynsect NL BV that requested in 2018 the marketing in the European Union of the frozen, paste, dried and powdered larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus (dung beetle). An application to which EFSA has now given the go-ahead. Specifically, the European Food Safety Agency contemplates the use of these larvae as a food ingredient in various products, including “cereal bars, pasta, imitation meat and bakery products.”
contraindications
The consumption of these dung beetle larvae also has its contraindications. As the EFSA points out in its scientific opinion, the ingestion of Alphitobius diaperinus larvae can cause reactions in people allergic to crustaceans and dust mites. He also points out “that other allergens could end up being found in the new food if they were present in the substrate with which the insects were fed.”
Likewise, the opinion points out that food supplements that contain the powdered form of these larvae “should not be consumed by people under 18 years of age” and this must be stated on the label of the products that contain it.
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