Insects
Insects, like algae, have been consumed in many parts of the world for centuries.
The focus on their use as a potentially important source of food and feed is a relatively recent trend in western countries.[1] This was propelled by factors that include, amongst others, policy work carried out by the FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations), which has since 2013 identified insects as a source of alternative proteins that might contribute to global food and feed security.[2]
Nevertheless, the regulation and use of insects as food and feed vary considerably worldwide.[3]
Global production data show that cricket is the most farmed insect for human nutrition.[4] In the EU, to date formulations of four insect species have been authorised as novel food applications:
- house cricket (Acheta domesticus);
- lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus);
- migratory locust (Locusta migratoria);
- and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor).[5]
Processed animal proteins (PAPs) derived from seven insect species are used in the EU for animal nutrition, including yellow mealworm and black soldier fly, which can be fed to certain food-producing animals (i.e. farmed fish, pigs and poultry).[6]
In 2019, the EU produced 500 tonnes of insects intended for food and 5,000 tonnes intended for feed.[7]
In 2022, EU production of insects as animal feed totalled 9,495 tonnes.[8]
Insects intended for use in aquaculture and as pet food account for the largest share (50%) of EU insect production as feed. Black soldier fly is by far the most farmed species for use as feed internationally. In Europe, together with the yellow mealworm, it accounts for 95% insect-based feed production.[9]
No estimates were found regarding the contribution of insects to the protein balance for food or feed.
[1] FAO. Looking at edible insects from a food safety perspective. Challenges and opportunities for the sector. Rome (2021) https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4094en
[2] van Huis A, van Itterbeek J, Klunder H, Mertens E, Halloran A, Muir G, Vantomme P Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation, Rome, 2013. https://www.fao.org/3/i3253e/i3253e.pdf
[3] Montanari F, Pinto de Moura A, Cunha LM, Production and Commercialization of Insects as Food and Feed: Identification of the Main Constraints in the European Union, Springer, 2021.
[4] Meticulous Research, Edible Insects Market, 2022.
[5] Two additional species - black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and honeybee drone brood (Apis mellifera male pupae) - are subject to authorisations that are currently pending at EU level (European Commission 2023). European Commission’s Q&A - Approval of fourth insects as novel food https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/novel-food/authorisations/approval-insect-novel-food_en (accessed on 19 July 2023).
[6] IPIFF, EU Legislation. Insect producers must conform with the same general rules that apply to operators in other sectors. https://ipiff.org/insects-eu-legislation/ (accessed on 19 July 2023)
[7] IPIFF, The insect sector milestones towards sustainable food supply chains, updated May 2020. Available at https://ipiff.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IPIFF-RegulatoryBrochure-update07-2020-1.pdf (accessed on 19 July 2023).
[8] IPIFF, Overview of the European insect feed market, version 2, November 2023.
[9] Ffoulkes C., Illman H, O’Connor R, Lemon F, Behrendt K, Wynn S, Wright P, Godber O, Ramsden M, Adams J, Metcalfe P, Walker L, Gittins J, Wickland K, Nanua S and Sharples B, Development of a roadmap to scale up insect protein production in the UK for use in animal feed, Technical report prepared by ADAS and Michelmores for WWF-UK and Tesco, 2021.