Eating small bugs could become big business but a lack of proper UK legislation is hindering growth of the industry, a food organisation has said.
Woven Network, a trade body representing the edible insect businesses, says bug-based foods have made more than £6 million ($7.8m) in revenue in the UK in the past decade.
The groups predicts the sector could reach an annual revenue of more than £112m by 2025 if regulation issues are resolved.
“Insects are a very sustainable, low impact, highly nutritious alternative source of protein to meat,” said Nick Rousseau, a director at Woven Network.
“The UK consumer should be able to choose what they want to do in terms of their source of protein. At the moment, they can’t choose insects.
“This is the barrier to innovation that we’re now facing, as a result of Brexit and novel food changes.”
Insects are high in protein, need little space and are a low-carbon source of nutrition because of their small requirements for food.
While eating bugs such crickets and mealworms are more commonplace in Asia, edible insect industries in western Europe and the US have grown in recent years.
Meanwhile, UK traders have complained of hurdles in trading, particularly in the aftermath of Brexit.
Confusion over trade laws has left businesses unsure of how to sell bugs as food and ministers are being asked to update food standards legislation to stop British traders falling behind their European Union counterparts.
A decision on the matter from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is expected in June, which may allow domestic trade on a temporary basis.
Until then, bug-based businesses are in limbo as local food standards officials can prevent companies from selling insect produce if they believe it is not safe to eat.
Difficulties for edible insect traders began in 2018 when the EU introduced food regulations classing edible insects as a “novel food”, meaning that they had to undergo new safety checks, including in the UK.
Temporary arrangements were discussed by the bloc to allow sales of bug-based foods while permanent trading applications were lodged.
But when the UK officially left the EU in early 2020, no transition for edible insects had been agreed to, and while traders on the continent have since been given approval, UK traders have not.
Before the new EU food regulations, people were able to eat and trade insect products in the UK, and were doing so “entirely legitimately over many years”.
“We have total confidence they are safe. The FAO, the global Food and Agriculture Organisation says they’re safe, so long as your farming and product development practices do not introduce contaminants or other risks. So inherently, they’re edible,” said Mr Rousseau.
Michael Wight, head of food safety policy at the FSA, said: “We are aware that edible insects, as part of the alternative proteins market, can offer benefits, most notably for the environment.”
“We are working hard to support and advise businesses and trade bodies so that they can provide high-quality dossiers and evidence as part of their novel foods applications.”
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA
First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam
Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
BLACKBERRY
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