Approved insects as food in the EU

Feeding the world's growing population is a major challenge. Insects could be the solution: they are rich in protein, environmentally friendly and efficient to farm. While they have long been on the menu in many cultures, the EU only approved four insect species as food in 2021. Nevertheless, there are still reservations - but are insects really the food of the future?

• Short-winged cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) - has been applied for authorization, but the decision is still pending.

Mandatory labeling of insects in food

Yes, there is a labeling requirement in the EU for foods containing insects. The scientific name and the German name of the respective insect must be clearly stated in the list of ingredients, for example "AchetaDomesticus (house cricket)".

• 🐜 Insects must be clearly named in the list of ingredients.

• ⚠️ Allergens must be stated, e.g. in the case of possible reactions similar to crustaceans.

• 🚫 No misleading information allowed - the insect content must not be concealed, e.g. through unclear designations or missing information.

  Additive	Origin	Use of the additive
  Genuine carmine (E120)	🐞 Dried cochineal scale insect	🍓 Red colorant in gummy bears, jam, soft drinks
  Shellac (E904)	Excretion of the lacquer scale insect	🍫 Release & coating agent for chocolate, chewing gum, coffee beans
  Beeswax (E901)	🐝 Excretion of the honey bee	🍏 Protective coating for fruit, vegetables & coffee beans

Legal regulations for insects in the EU

Insects as food are subject to the Novel Food Regulation
📘 (EU Regulation 2015/2283)

• ✅ Authorization requirement: Every insect or insect product must be authorized as a novel food.

• 🧪 Safety assessment by EFSA: The European Food Safety Authority assesses risks and issues a recommendation.

• 🏷️ Labeling & hygiene regulations: Must be complied with in a binding manner - such as clear ingredient information & allergen information.

• 🏭 Strict production standards: Companies need high safety and hygiene standards for breeding and processing.

⚠️ Allergy risk with insect products - what you should know

Novel foods (NF), such as the yellow mealworm, can trigger allergic reactions - especially in people with known allergies to crustaceans or house dust mites.
Food allergens such as gluten could also be unintentionally contained in the end product.

The allergenicity of edible insects has not yet been fully researched. Initial indications show:

• 🦐 Cross-reactions with crustaceans, house dust mites & cockroaches are possible.

• 🧬 Different proteins can trigger sensitization - it is still unclear exactly which ones.

• 🧪 Component-based diagnostics (CRD) could help to better identify the main allergens.

Processing also plays a role:
🔥 Heat, mixing or drying can change allergenic structures - making the risk difficult to assess.

🔬 The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) therefore emphasizes the need for further research into the allergenicity of insects - especially with regard to possible cross-reactions, which are difficult to predict.

👀 But what does this mean in everyday life?
It is often difficult to see which products contain insect ingredients - and whether cross-reactions are possible. This makes shopping unnecessarily complicated and risky for allergy sufferers or sensitive people.

📱 Good to know: The InTolerApp can help!

To offer more safety here, the InTolerApp has a special filter under Allergies > Insects.
This allows you to:

🔍 s earch specifically for products & foods without insect ingredients, scan the barcode or the list of ingredients,

✅ better avoid possible cross-reactions,

🛒 and finally go shopping again relaxed and free of complaints.

📱 Simply open the app, set the filter - and off you go!

Benefits of eating insects

Eating insects is considered a potentially nutrient-rich food source because:

✅ Wide range of uses: they can be used as a powder, whole insects or as an ingredient in foods such as burgers, bars or pasta.

✅They represent an alternative source of protein for the growing world population

Insects - the protein source of the future?

In view of the climate crisis, scarcity of resources and a growing world population, insects are increasingly coming into focus as a sustainable alternative to meat. They offer many advantages:

• 💧 Less resource consumption: require significantly less water, land and feed than cattle or pigs.

• 🌍 Low carbon footprint: Insect farming produces far fewer greenhouse gases.

• ⚡ High feed efficiency: Convert food into protein quickly - thanks to body temperature at alternating temperatures.

• 🏢 Vertical farms possible: Space-saving production on high shelves - ideal for cities.

• ♻️ Less waste: Feeding with food scraps supports the circular economy.

👉 Whether as a snack, powder or ingredient - insects could be a key to the sustainable diet of tomorrow.

Where can insects already be found?

Insect ingredients can now be found in more and more products - not always recognizable at first glance:

• 🍫 Protein bars & shakes - with insect meal as a source of protein

• 🍝 Pasta & baked goods - enriched with insect protein

• 🍔 Burger patties & meat substitutes - often made from mealworm or crickets

• 🍟 Snacks such as potato chips & crackers - with insect meal or seasoning powder

• 🍹 Alcoholic mixed drinks or beer-like products - sometimes with insect flavors

• 🥣 Mueslis & cereals - for a protein kick in the morning

• 🐟 Animal feed - currently mainly for fish; research is being conducted into replacing soy with insect meal

Conclusion

Insects are increasingly being used in the EU as a sustainable and nutritious source of protein. Already approved species such as the yellow mealworm, the European migratory locust, the house cricket and the buffalo worm can be found in foods such as baked goods, pasta and meat alternatives.

Their breeding requires significantly fewer resources than conventional livestock farming and causes lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Nevertheless, there are challenges, particularly due to the low level of acceptance among the population and the risk of allergic reactions. A clear labeling requirement ensures transparency and protects allergy sufferers.

🔍 Tip:
You can use the InTolerApp to filter products without insect ingredients - for more safety when shopping!

Sources:

• Choudhury, N., Saha, S., Dutta, A., & Roychoudhury, S. (2021). Edible insects as a food source: A review of their potential and challenges. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8, 703882. https ://doi .org /10.3389 /fnut .2021.703882

• Consumer advice center. (2023). Insects as food: These are approved. Verbraucherzentrale. https ://www .verbraucherzentrale .de /wissen /lebensmittel /gesund -ernaehren /insekten -als -lebensmittel -diese -sind -zugelassen -60446

• Jankowski, WM, Przychodniak, D., Gromek, W., Majsiak, E. and Kurowski, M. (2025) 'Edible insects as an alternative nutrient source: benefits, risks and the future of entomophagy in Europe - A narrative review', Foods, 14(2), p. 27https://doi.org/10 ./foods14020270