FILE PHOTO – Mealworms are sorted before cooking in San Francisco, February 18, 2015. The revered Mediterranean diet and France’s “bon gout” face some competition: The European Food Safety Authority says mealworms are safe to eat. The Parma-based agency issued a scientific opinion on the safety of dried mealworms on Wednesday and backed it up. The researchers say mealworms, eaten whole or ground into powder, serve as a protein-rich snack or ingredient in other foods. (AP/Photo Ben Margot)
ROME (AP) — The revered Mediterranean diet and French cuisine are facing some competition: The European Union’s food safety agency says worms are safe to eat.
The Parma-based agency on Wednesday published a scientific opinion on the safety of dried mealworms, which it praised. The researchers said the insects, eaten whole or ground into powder, are a protein-rich snack that can also be used as an ingredient in other products.
Allergic reactions may occur, particularly depending on the type of food given to the insects (formerly known as mealworm larvae). But overall, “the panel concluded that (the new food) is safe at the recommended doses and use levels.”
As a result, the EU is now as much of a pro-flaw as the UN. In 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations advocated eating beetles as a low-fat, high-protein food suitable for humans, pets and livestock, good for the environment and able to help fight hunger.
A previous version of this story corrected the name of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Post time: Dec-26-2024