Consumers are “well informed” about insect-based foods, says European Commission

The European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, stated that consumers are already aware of insects as food ingredients in response to questions from members of the European Parliament on insect consumption.

This announcement has been welcomed by ValuSect, a consortium that promotes the use of insects as a sustainable source of protein. It  considers more labels for insect products unnecessary at the moment.

The EC clarified that food processors who want to sell insect-based food must inform consumers about the presence of insects in their food.

Any food product must have a list of ingredients, including the Latin specific name of the insects, which must be indicated on the packaging. Moreover, information on insects must be clear and legible, using a conspicuous space, large font size and indelible ink. Additionally, the law requires that a warning about the possible cause of an allergic reaction be displayed on the label.

Regarding the insect’s species, the EC explained that the legal name of the insect must be used, which means that the Latin (scientific) name of the insect, followed by its common name in brackets, must be shown.

Food Ingredients First