The crickets can now be safely consumed Europe I eat food. The Friday la European Commission authorized and approved the proposal for Brussels: market the cricket home as food in the European Union. It thus becomes the third insect edible on western soil. The first was the mealworm en May of 2021 which was followed by migratory locust en November Are insects a nutritious and healthy food for humans? Discover that and more, keep reading!
Cricket appetizer in Europe!
The decision was prompted after knowing the conclusion of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) confirming the safety of the house cricket as an ingredient and food for human consumption. The Commission's concern lies, above all, in its allergenicity. For that reason, all products containing this food must be correctly labeled. They will thus alert of any possible allergic reaction.
Fair Insects BV, Dutch company dedicated to the production of insects for food, was the one who asked the European Commission the commercialization of the domestic cricket in three ways: frozen, dried or in dust. In this way, crickets could be used as ingredients or as appetizer. Only Fair Insects will be able to commercialize this new food until a new company requests it.
Are insects healthy?
Insects provide high-quality protein and nutrients compared to meat and fish. Insects are especially important as a dietary supplement for malnourished children because most insect species contain high levels of fatty acids
(comparable with fish). They are also rich in fiber and micronutrients such as copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, and zinc. Report for the FAO (Food Organization of the United Nations)
La EFSA has also claimed that the crickets consist of nutritious and a fountain healthy high in fat, protein, vitamins, fiber and minerals. In addition, they are also healthy for the planet. One of the objectives of the strategy of the European Union "from farm to table" is to promote a more sustainable food model. Therefore, it is crucial find alternative protein sources to conventional ones, most of which are harmful to the environment. And the insects are a great choice.
It is not the first attempt. For years, new foods whose production is sustainable and combat climate change have been sought. An example of this is the artificial meat. The project has been developing for years in order to replace conventional meat. The reason is that the practice of farming generates large emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane. In addition, it would also be possible to avoid or reduce the number of animals slaughtered.
The Western panic to eat insects
En Europe We are not at all used to eating these invertebrates. In fact, you will have been scared more than once to see those reports in which people appear eating all kinds of insects. You must have thought "I couldn't". Well, it turns out that humans have been consuming them since the Antiquity. In the case of America the prehispanic tribes They did it in great harmony with the environment. The insects represented a fundamental part of their diet thanks to their nutritional quality and their abundance.
Insects were undoubtedly of paramount importance in the diet of the ancestors of man, and have played a significant role in the history of mankind.
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However, you don't have to go far. In the present, insects are part of the daily diet of approximately 2 million people. There are many places where hundreds of different species are consumed. The entomophagy, the consumption of insects by humans is more common than it seems. This practice is carried out in various parts of the globe, specifically in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Although West (for the moment) let's see it strange or primitive it's nothing new ni nothing weird. In fact, the inclusion in our food is relatively easy due to several factors. Their breeding and harvesting do not involve large investments. And, its processing as food is quite simple, since some species are even consumed whole. Perhaps, one of the big bumps is that chill that Westerners get in our bodies when we think of this idea. Maybe, It's time to leave it behind.
