The insects for some years they have also become part of ours diet. Since 2021, the European Union has authorized the entry in trade of well four different types of insects for a total of six authorizations (we will shortly explain how this is possible) as per regulation Novel Food. Thus, a food that is already present in the diet of other cultures, especially Asian ones, also arrives in Europe and consequently in Italy. From a nutritional point of view, insects are notoriously rich in proteinsfats, vitamins and minerals, in quantities that vary depending on the species. Let’s see which products are approved, how they are legislated and what they contain.
What insects are available for sale?
There are currently four different species of insects on the market, but the EU has issued six authorisations. This is because each authorisation must be requested by theagency producertogether with specific documents relating to production technique, nutritional characteristics, health and safety. So not everyone can start selling insects: today, pFor each new placing on the market a new authorization is required. The product as such is not authorised, but the specific product for which the appropriate documents were submitted.
Both have been approved whole insects what preparations in dust (the famous flours) and pasta. Specifically, in order of approval by the EU:
Chemical-nutritional characteristics of insects
The specific nutritional content of these Novel Foods depends on the species of insect, by shape (dried, frozen or powder) and by production techniques used. EFSA assessments report nutrient tables for each authorised product, but on average we can say that insects and their derivatives such as flours have a high protein content (around 60%) and fatty acids (mainly palmitic, linoleic and oleic acid). They are also rich in minerals (such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium) and vitamins (A, B12, E).
To further increase protein efficiency, one of the authorizations is for cricket flour partially degreased, that is, treated with a process that allows the fats to be separated from the rest of the flour, reducing their percentage, as happens for example in fat-free yogurt.
But how much protein do they actually provide?
Let’s do some calculations with frozen whole crickets and cricket flour. As reported by the respective EFSA assessments, 100 g of frozen crickets contain 60.3 g of protein; cricket flour instead contains 75.3 g per 100 g of flour.
EFSA points out that these values could be distorted by the high content of chitinone of the main components of the exoskeleton of insects. This is because, to measure the protein content the nitrogen content is quantifiedand since chitin is a nitrogen-rich polysaccharide, it could overinfluence the data. In reality, even taking into account and eliminating the contribution of chitin, the protein values of both frozen crickets and cricket flour remain high: respectively 53.7 g and 64.2 g of protein per 100 g.
According to the Reference Intake Levels for Nutrition and Energy (LARN) drawn up by the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, the recommended intake for healthy adults is between 50 and 60 g of protein per day. This means that 100 g of cricket flour or frozen crickets would be enough to meet the daily protein requirement.
It is good to remember, however, that the diet must be varied and balanced and therefore it is not sustainable to think of taking proteins only from insects. This new food is to be considered a valid protein source, to be alternated with other protein foods of animal and vegetable origin.
How a Novel Food is approved
Since 2021, the European Union has begun to authorize the placing on the market in its territory of competence of insects and their preparations as Novel Food (new foods).
This category of foods was introduced for the first time in 1997 with EC Regulation 258/97, then replaced in 2015 with EC Regulation 2015/2238 which simplifies the procedures for requesting authorization. Registration as a Novel Food was a turning point in the European food safety management: with globalization we have opened ourselves more and more not only to new markets and cultures, but also to new foods and eating habits.
To allow European consumers to enjoy new tastes without too many worries, “any food that was not commonly used in Europe before 15 May 1997” is considered a Novel Food and must undergo safety assessment from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). Once the EFSA has given a positive opinion, usually after a few months, the European Commission approves the marketing of the Novel Food, in our case insects, in all Member States.
In Italy last December there was much talk about the new decrees that authorize the sale of insect flours and the “special” labeling regulations imposed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF). In reality, The rules for the labelling of insect flours are already regulated by the European Union (EU Reg. 1169/2011), and our government’s decrees simply follow the European directives.
Specifically, the labels must contain: scientific name of the insect, place of origin, quantity and information relating to the possible allergenicity of the food. In fact, they could cause allergyespecially in those who are already allergic (cross-allergies) to the clams And crustaceans.
MASAF has specified that insect-based products will need to be displayed in adedicated area supermarkets, so that consumers can identify them without problems. In practice, as already happens for any other ethnic, vegan or gluten-free product, for example.
Just as today we are free to choose whether to buy tacos or piadinas, tofu or stracchino cheese, every consumer will decide in total freedom whether to buy a cricket-based snack or a snack. Thinking about it, many foods that we consume every day today were at some point in their history “new foods”: before the discovery of America we didn’t know what tomatoes were!
