If you’ve ever wondered how safe and nutritious it is to eat insects, here’s your answer! The European Commission, through the voice of European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Ms Stella Kyriakides, repeated that insects sold in the EU market are safe for European citizens, when answering MEPs’ questions on the safety of insect consumption.
In its statement, the European Commission reiterated that all food available on the EU market is safe for consumers, and that includes insects. ValuSect is happy to see that the European Commission continues to guarantee a high level of consumer health protection, thanks to the work of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) and very strict European legislation.
Indeed, the quality and safety of food available in the EU is guaranteed by the obligation, for all food business operators, to apply for authorisation of all novel foods on the European Single Market[1]. In other words, only those novel foods, that have been found to be safe by EFSA, can be authorised for sale on the EU market.
In addition, the European Commission has pointed out that the authorisations granted to food processors are associated with strict specifications and conditions of use for the placing of products on the market.
What’s more, all evaluation of safety is done in full transparency, and as of 27 March 2003, any novel food application submitted is available to the public, subject to confidentiality rules. The EFSA website also makes available all supporting documentation.
ValuSect stresses that this rigorous procedure is a guarantee of a high level of safety for European consumers and is pleased that consumers can enjoy all insect-derived foods without hesitation.