Worm flour as an ingredient: OCU and the European Commission clarify the controversy
The marketing of this product in the European Union has generated confusion regarding its safety and labelling.
BarcelonaIn recent days, a fake news story has alarmed consumers about an ingredient that is still quite unknown: worm meal. Contrary to popular belief, it is safe to eat and the European Union will not force its inclusion in food without customers knowing. Both the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) and the European Commission have clarified this information: the insects allowed for consumption comply with very strict standards, and the ingredients will be clearly labeled on the products we buy.
In fact, the false information has been generated from a new regulation approved by the EU authorizing the sale of powder treated with ultraviolet radiation from the larvae of the Tenebrio molitor (the mealworm). It can now be marketed as an ingredient, and will appear on the label of products that include it. Despite the sympathetic mental barriers to eating insects, their use is not new: both these animals and the migratory locust, the house cricket or the larvae of the dung beetle have been permitted since 2018 in the European Union.
Worm meal in our diet?
Eating insects can be beneficial for our diet. Nuria Tous, a researcher at the Animal Nutrition Program of the Institute for Food Research and Technology (IRTA), explains that insect flour is rich in protein, but also in other nutrients such as lipids, fiber, minerals and vitamins. "It also contains bioactive compounds that can have advantages for intestinal health," explains Tous.
Mealworm larvae are a very good source of "high quality" protein, says the researcher. The new regulation involves treating the dust that comes from the mealworm larvae Tenebrio molitor with ultraviolet radiation. What does this treatment involve? Tous gives details: "It is used to improve the biological quality of the product, control the possible presence of microorganisms and ensure the safety of the final product." In addition, according to the European Food Safety Agency, it also increases the concentration of vitamin D3.
As for where we will find this new ingredient, the new regulation authorizes the use of worm flour in breads, cakes, cheeses or fruit and vegetable compotes, among others.
What does European legislation say?
According to the rules, any food that has not been consumed in the European Union in a significant way since 1997 must be considered novel food ("novel food" in English). From there, in order to be marketed it must pass through strict controls by the EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority. This institution is the one that decides the conditions of use, the labeling requirements and the subsequent monitoring after its commercialization.
When in doubt, the European Commission makes it clear: consuming insects is not obligatory, it is completely safe and the details of these foods will be indicated on the products we buy. However, it is necessary to be alert to allergens. Núria Tous explains that arthropods such as the Tenebrio molitor "They contain a set of potentially allergenic proteins, which can cause reactions in people allergic to crustaceans, mites or dust."
Where does the mealworm come from?
The dust comes from the Tenebrio molitor The mealworm beetle, a species of beetle that follows a four-stage life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and imago. It feeds on dead insects, faeces, seeds and plants and it is precisely because of the possibility it offers of meeting the nutritional needs of the planet that it is beginning to be introduced into the Western diet.
The IRTA researcher explains that insects are produced on adapted farms: "We are talking about controlled environments to guarantee the health of the insects and the food safety of the final product." There they are fed on ingredients rich in carbohydrates, such as cereals or flour.
And, once we buy the mealworm, will we notice it by taste? Núria Tous explains that if the concentration in the food is low "we will hardly notice it," but that the flavour is normally defined as brown or toasted. It also has a brown or yellowish color, which can vary in consistency, but which for practical purposes is very different from wheat flour: "insect flour is a source of protein, while wheat flour is a source of carbohydrates," concludes Tous.
