Posted Jan 24, 2023 9:44pm
Food: There will be crickets in our chocolates or our bread
Frozen, dried or powdered: This Tuesday, the European Commission approved the sale of house crickets as food in the EU. Switzerland is following suit.
The house cricket can be found in frozen, dried or powdered form in a wide range of foods, such as bread, granola bars, soups, pizzas or meat substitutes.
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Like it or not, insects are becoming part of your diet. In fact, as of this Tuesday, the European Commission authorizes the marketing of house cricket powder (Acheta domesticus), totally or partially defatted, as a new food. A permit that Bern takes over. “Since the cricket is approved for human consumption in the EU, it is automatically also approved in Switzerland,” confirms the Federal Office for Food Safety.
And it will be difficult to escape from him. Because the house crickets are likely to be found in a whole range of foods in frozen, dried or powdered form. Such as multigrain breads and rolls, biscuits, muesli bars, sauces, potato products, legumes and vegetable dishes, but also pizzas, soups, whey powder, meat substitutes, beer-like drinks or even chocolate confectionery!
Beware vegetarians and vegans
However, the amount of house crickets in food will be limited. But we can find it in meat substitutes, for example, at levels of up to 5%, which could make vegetarians and vegans who have no choice but to dissect the ingredient list cringe, while those with pre-existing shellfish and dust mite allergies might find it so. And be careful with sibylline references such as “contains animal protein” or “contains protein flour” …
There are no such products at Migros
In Switzerland, an internet user asked Migros about their intentions to market this type of product. The orange giant has pledged not to sell any insect products. A trial completed in 2018 turned out to be a commercial failure. “These little beasts don’t belong on the Swiss plate,” he emphasized.
Note that the Cricket is currently being marketed by a single company, “Criquet One”, based in Vietnam. Which has received a permit for the next 5 years. “A rigorous evaluation showed that its consumption within the proposed uses was safe,” specifies the Commission.
Also, insects, you may already be eating them without even knowing it. In fact, the cricket is the third species to receive EU approval, after the dried mealworm and migratory locust, both of which were approved last year.
Good for health
In recent years, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has determined that insects are a healthy and nutritious food source rich in fat, protein, vitamins, fiber and minerals. She goes on to remind that they are an important part of the daily diet of hundreds of millions of people around the world.