Edible Insects Subject to Changing EU Novel Foods Regulations
30 Jul 2015 --- The European Commission is seeking harmonisation of the novel foods regulations in relation to the sale of edible insects across all member states. Novel foods are food products or ingredients that do not have a significant history of consumption before 1997 and are therefore subject to additional safety checks.
Dr Stephen Johnson, Head of Novel Foods at the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), said: 'In preparation for these changes, we are asking companies in the UK that sell insects for human consumption to provide us with information that will help the FSA in demonstrating a history of consumption for their products.
'If there isn’t enough evidence to demonstrate that insects have been consumed to a significant degree in the EU before 15 May 1997 then these insects would be considered novel. This would mean food businesses will need to supply information to demonstrate safety in order to continue to sell the insects.'
