Euractiv reports that yellow mealworm flour could be the next insect-based food product to reach supermarket shelves in the EU after receiving approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which concluded that it does not raise safety concerns.

UV-treated worms

The scientific opinion, which focused on the safety of UV-treated yellow mealworm powder, was published at the request of the European Commission, which tasked the EFSA Panel on Novel Foods and Feed to investigate the larvae in powdered form following an application from the French company Nutri'Earth.

It was concluded that the powder obtained from the larval form of the insect species Tenebrio molitor is both nutritious and safe for use within the proposed uses by the company.

These include being used as an ingredient in various food productions, including flour-based food products such as cakes, bread, and wheat rolls, as well as pasta and cheese, with the target population defined as the "general population."

While the panel expressed some concerns that the new food could induce "primary sensitization and allergic reactions" to the yellow proteins of mealworms, especially for those with allergies to crustaceans and mites, overall, the toxicity studies presented "did not raise safety concerns."

No adverse effects observed

"Since no adverse effects have been observed in the available toxicological studies in the scientific literature on dried yellow mealworms or have been identified from the history of use [of the novel food] and its source, the panel considers that there are no safety concerns, provided that larvae are reared separately from adults," the opinion concludes.

The opinion is the seventh novel food derived from insects for which the EFSA has assessed safety, following those of dried yellow mealworm, as well as frozen and dried formulations of locusts and crickets.

Dried yellow mealworms are the first insect food to receive market authorization in the EU following a favorable opinion from member states.

For IPIFF, the EU umbrella organization for the insect sector, the opinion marks a milestone in the broader commercialization of edible insects in the EU, positioning them as a "complementary source of high-quality proteins."

"This positive opinion by the EFSA highlights the opportunities ahead of the EU Protein Strategy and, in particular, the edible insect sector," said Christophe Derrien, Secretary-General of IPIFF, adding that insect-derived products represent a "sustainable addition" to the protein mix in the bioeconomy.

The opinion comes against the backdrop of growing concerns about the use of insects as food. For example, a recent Slovak study found that more than one in three Slovaks were concerned that consuming insect protein could endanger public health.

Meanwhile, the issue is gaining increasing attention in Italy, where the right-wing government has recently taken measures to ban the use of insect flour in pasta to protect the culinary traditions of the country.

Next steps

According to the legislative process on novel foods, the EFSA opinion will be presented by the European Commission to EU member states for discussion on whether to authorize the novel food and its conditions of use.

In the event of a favorable vote from EU member states, it will then return to the Commission to establish rules for its marketing in a process that could take up to seven months.