Worm flour as an ingredient: OCU and the European Commission clarify the controversy

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: these animals have nutritional properties and can be a good source of protein. Worm flour has a significant content of vitamin D3, and is already being incorporated into foods such as bread, cheeses or cakes due to its high nutritional profile in macronutrients and micronutrients. The powder comes from the Tenebrio molitor or mealworm, 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.

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. Of course, it is necessary to be alert to allergens, especially those people with sensitivity to crustaceans.