Insects Instead of Soy
Until now, larval meal was only legally approved by the EU as feed for pets such as cats and as fish feed, but not for chickens and pigs — by far the larger market.
On 17 August 2021, the European Commission decided to amend the regulation on the prohibition of feed materials and to permit insect protein in pig and poultry feed.
The Wrong Solution Instead of a Dietary Shift
While the European Commission announced this as a step “on our path towards a more sustainable feed chain,” the Eurogroup for Animals believes that this decision could lead to false solutions and distract from the urgent need to create sustainable food systems.
The ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy acknowledges the urgent need to shift European diets towards more plant-based foods, but also emphasises the role of improved animal welfare in a sustainable food system.
Animal welfare advocates warn that approving insect proteins as feed would run counter to the intentions of the Farm to Fork strategy, as it would preserve the status quo of factory farming rather than achieving a dietary shift towards more plant-based foods in combination with better animal welfare and sustainable agricultural systems. Beyond maintaining the status quo of intensive animal farming, the scientific literature raises concerns about environmental impacts, risks to the One Health concept, and a lack of knowledge about insect welfare.
We are deeply concerned that insect proteins are being promoted as a sustainable solution for animal feed. Replacing soy with insects produced on a large industrial scale to feed pigs and poultry in factory farming is not the right path toward creating sustainable food systems. We urgently need to work toward a dietary shift, with more plant-based food and systems with fewer animals that allow for better animal welfare. Unfortunately, the decision to permit the use of insect proteins in pig and poultry feed serves more to prop up intensive animal production in the EU than to support the transition to a truly sustainable food system.
Reineke Hameleers, CEO of Eurogroup for Animals
Authorising insect protein for feeding to non-ruminants does not contribute to achieving the recognised goal of a dietary shift toward plant-based food, as outlined in the Farm to Fork Strategy and the European Cancer Beating Plan. For the reasons stated above, Eurogroup for Animals recommends that the European Commission not authorise proteins derived from insects for use in feed for non-ruminants.
Mealworms in the food industry
The dried larva of the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor became the first insect to be approved as a food in the EU in May 2021.
The dried mealworm larva may be sold as a whole snack or ground into powder. As a powdered ingredient, for example in pasta or biscuits, a proportion of up to ten percent is permitted. The authorisation initially applies only to the French company that submitted the application, which may sell the larvae exclusively for five years. After that, competitors will also be allowed to enter the market for this product.
The incorporation of mealworms into the food industry is linked to the search for alternative protein sources, which has been developing as a global trend for some time thanks to the production of less environmentally harmful plant-based meat, and which is considered healthier than traditional beef or pork.
