Insects as ‘novel foods’ (4)

Subject: Insects as ‘novel foods’ (4)

A study drawn up by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) at the instigation of the Commission on potential biological, chemical and environmental hazards related to insects in food was published on 5 October 2015. It concludes, inter alia, that:

‘While the environmental impact of insect farming in terms of resource consumption and emissions depends on the insect species, the use of the substrate as feed and other factors, it appears to be roughly comparable to those of other forms of stockbreeding’.

It cannot therefore be argued that the use of insects as feed and/or food leaves a less harmful ecological or CO2footprint.

1. What other findings have emerged from the Commission reading of the EFSA study regarding the sustainability of insects as food?

2. Does insect breeding form part of ‘the more sustainable livestock sector’ announced by the Commission in the farm to fork strategy? If so, what conclusions have led to this decision and how is it to be implemented, bearing in mind that insects are imported from third countries - while environmental risks are only exported?

3. If not, how does the Commission intend to avoid penalising stockbreeders?

Submitted: 23.2.2023

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

(25 April 2023)

The Novel Food regulation ensures that novel food, such as insects, are subject to strict scientific safety assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before it is put on the market.

It was only when EFSA concluded that the use as food of the insects is safe, that the Commission, with the agreement of the Member States, authorised the use of these insects as foods with strict specifications and conditions of use for their placement on the market, whether reared in the EU or imported.

The scientific opinion referred to by the Honourable Member (1) was delivered by EFSA at the request of the Commission (2). In particular, the Commission asked EFSA to assess the microbiological, chemical and environmental risks arising from the production and consumption of insects as food and feed and to cover the main steps from the production chain up to consumption by pets, food producing animals and humans.

As such, the request addressed to EFSA concerned an overall conclusion on the potential hazards posed by the use of insects in food and feed, compared to those from other protein sources used in food or feed.

It did not address other sustainability aspects (e.g. environmental benefits, social or economic aspects of sustainability), as this was not part of the request.

The sustainability aspects associated to the use of insects as food are being analysed in one Horizon 2020 project and one Horizon Europe project (3).

Furthermore, in addition to the authorisation required under the Novel Food Regulation (4), only those third countries that comply with the relevant EU requirements and are listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/40 5 (5) are allowed to export insects or insect products to the EU.

1 ∙ ⸱ Risk profile related to production and consumption of insects as food and feed, Scientific Opinion, EFSA Scientific Committee, EFSA Journal 2015, 13(10):4257, to

be found at: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4257

2 ∙ ⸱ Article 29 of the Founding Regulation; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32002R0178

3 ∙ ⸱ Susinchain (October 2019 — September 2023) developed a modular environmental and economic assessment system of industrial insect production chains. Giant

Leaps (September 2022-August 2026) will study five innovative protein ingredients, including insects (crickets) and includes a work package on sustainability and climate.

4 ∙ ⸱ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32015R2283

5 ∙ ⸱ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/405/oj