Singapore approves 16 insect species for human consumption to bolster alternative protein

09 Jul 2024 --- Singapore has approved the use of 16 insects as food and developed an insect regulatory framework to ensure food safety. Insects declared safe for human consumption include house crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, locusts and silk moths, among others (at different life stages). Singapore’s low agricultural production means it has a high dependency (90%) on food imports, which this regulation aims to reduce.

“With immediate effect, Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will allow the import of insects and insect products belonging to species that have been assessed to be of low regulatory concern,” says SFA’s public circular to processed food and animal feed traders.

“These insects and insect products can be used for human consumption or as animal feed for food producing animals.”

It also asserts that these insects should not be “harvested from the wild.”

Ensuring safe consumption
Food traders need to follow specific SFA guidelines and provide information to the organization for all imports of insects and insect products for human consumption to ensure their safe use in foods.

These include the scientific name of insects and intended life stage of consumption, details of the farming and processing method, including the type of substrate (i.e. material used for feeding insects) and evidence of history of use as a food in a country other than Singapore.

Singapore imports 90% of its food and focuses its food laws on ensuring consistent foreign supply of safe food and agricultural products.The SFA also asks traders to mention the scientific literature and laboratory reports relied on to establish that the species and life stage is safe for consumption and the applicant’s Singapore address or entity.

Ready-to-eat applications like fried insect snacks and protein bars with insect powder require traders to submit a health certificate detailing that products have been subjected to “sufficient heat treatment, or an equivalent bactericidal process, to kill pathogens prior to consumption and are safe for consumption,” notifies the SFA.

Regulatory requirements
The SFA has also developed an insect regulatory framework, which establishes guidelines for approving insects as food.

“Traders are reminded that the imported insects and insect products (for human consumption and as animal feed) must comply with the regulatory standards as stipulated in the relevant legislation.”

The regulatory standards include microbiological standards for food ready for consumption and limits for heavy metals and mycotoxins as prescribed in the Food Regulations. 

SFA may conduct inspection and food safety testing on the imported insects and insect products.

The 16 insect species approved currently are not considered to be of higher regulatory concern, states the SFA. However, insects not on this list would need to be evaluated to ensure that they can be used for human consumption.

Labeling rules
Companies selling pre-packaged food, including those containing insects as an ingredient, must label the product packaging to indicate the product’s true nature, asserts the SFA.

Fried insect snacks require traders to submit a health certificate to prove that they have been sufficiently heat-treated.Insect products will be open to SFA’s inspection and surveillance, like other foods available in the Singaporean market, including sampling for food safety testing.

“Food that is found to be non-compliant with SFA’s food safety regulations will not be allowed for sale.”

A tool for food security
Singapore’s approval of insect consumption comes at a time when the interest in insects as a sustainable food source is gaining ground and driving innovation and NPD in the alternative protein space.

According to the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF), whole insects (approximately 25%) have the sector’s highest market share, followed by bars, snacks, specialty food ingredients and pasta.

The FAO has also voiced its support for edible insects’ future prospects for food and feed security, stating they are environmentally sustainable, nutritious and an underutilized resource.

While consumers in some regions like the UK are repulsed by the idea of eating insects due to the perceived “yuk factor,” researchers have shown confidence in their use as a means to ensure food security.

In the US, scientists have previously isolated insect proteins from crickets, locusts and silkworm pupae to formulate insect powders, while food companies are investing in insects like the black soldier fly to develop high-quality, sustainable insect proteins and lipids.

The sector is also receiving support from government authorities and projects to bolster innovations in insect-derived products.

Meanwhile, animal protection groups have questioned the burgeoning industry’s true ecological impact and morality. However, industry advocates argue that insect farming could be integral to fulfilling the world’s growing demand for sustainable protein through animal feed and human nutrition products.

By Insha Naureen