Looking at Edible Insects from a Food Safety Perspective: Challenges and Opportunities for the Sector

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FAO. 2021. Looking at edible insects from a food safety perspective. Challenges and opportunities for the sector. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4094en

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Cover photographs: clockwise from bottom right: Cricket powder, roasted mealworms, and fried silkworm pupae. ©Yerai Ibarria.

Design and layout: Tomaso Lezzi

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations and acronyms

Executive Summary

Introduction

Food safety characterization of insects

Overview of regulatory framework for edible insects

Challenges of the insect sector

The way forward

References

FIGURES

1. Number of recorded edible insect species per group in the world

2. Comparison of feed conversion, water, global warming potential, and land needed to produce 1 kg of the live animal. Also shown is the percentage of each animal that is edible

BOXES

1. Wild-collected insects – sustainable harvesting practices needed to prevent overexploitation

2. Transferable antimicrobial resistance genes and edible insects

3. Insect consumption as a pest control measure comes at a risk

4. Yellow mealworms – first insect approved by EFSA under the European Union Novel Foods Regulation

PREFACE

While the subject of edible insects inherently encompasses a vast array of topics, from insect ecology to various rearing practices and processing methods, the primary objective of this publication is to provide an overview of the potential food safety issues associated with the production and consumption of insects. The farming of insects for food and feed is relatively recent and brings with it both benefits and challenges, some of which this publication explores. The regulatory frameworks that govern edible insects in various regions are discussed. In addition, the document highlights some of the other challenges, such as research gaps and scaling up production, that the insect sector will need to overcome if it is to have a more global reach. The intended audiences for this publication are food safety professionals, policymakers, researchers, insect producers, as well as consumers.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The research and drafting was carried out by Keya Mukherjee (Food Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO) under the overall guidance of Vittorio Fattori (Food Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO).

Markus Lipp, Christine Kopko and Kang Zhou (all of the Food Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO) provided invaluable inputs.

Comments and contributions from FAO colleagues Carmen Bullon (Legal and Ethics Office) and Gracia Brisco (Joint FAO/WHO Centre - Codex Food Standards and Zoonotic Diseases) are gratefully acknowledged.

FAO expresses sincere gratitude to the following external reviewers for taking the time to provide their insightful feedback.

INDIVIDUAL EXPERTS

Arnold van Huis, Emeritus Professor, Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Netherlands

Giulia Poma, Research Manager, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Josephine Antwi, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Mary Washington, United States of America

Patrick Durst, former Senior Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Asian Food and Feed Insect Association (AFFIA) – Anne Deguerry and Nathan Preteseille

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) – Michele Ardizzone, Domenico Azzollini, Tilemachos Goumperis, Angelo Maggiore and Ermolaos Ververis

United States of America Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – Anthony Adeuya, Richard Bonnette, Daria Kleinmeier, Charlotte Liang, Stefano Luccioli, Amy Miller, Quynh-Anh Nguyen, Monica Pava-Ripoll, Emily Pettengill, Lauren (Posnick) Robin, Girdhari Sharma, Eric Stevens, Andrew Yeung and Chelsea Durgan

Insect Protein Association of Australia (IPAA) – Olympia Yarger

International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) – Christophe Derrien and Constantin Muraru

Finally, thanks go out to Jeannie Marshall for editing, Tomaso Lezzi for design and layout of the publication, and to Mia Rowan for her help in refining the document.

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ACFS Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards

ACNF Advisory Committee on Novel Foods

AMR antimicrobial resistance

CFIA Canadian Food inspection Agency

EC European Commission

EFSA European Food Safety Authority

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

FDA Food and Drug Administration (USA)

FD&C Act Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (USA)

FSANZ Food Standards Australia New Zealand

GHG greenhouse gas

GRAS Generally Recognized As Safe

HBCD hexabromocyclododecane

IPIFF International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed

KEBS Kenya Bureau of Standards

LCA life cycle assessment

LOQ limit of quantification

MOH mineral oil hydrocarbons

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

PAH polyaromatic hydrocarbons

PBDE polybrominated diphenyl ether

PCB polychlorinated biphenyls

PCDD polychlorinated dibenzodioxins

PCDF polychlorinated dibenzofurans

PDCAAS protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score

PMTDI provisional maximum