Cricket flour on food labels: the 12 names to watch for
Cricket and insect ingredients are usually declared on EU labels by their Latin binomial name, so Acheta domesticus (house cricket), Tenebrio molitor (yellow mealworm), Alphitobius diaperinus (lesser mealworm) and Locusta migratoria (migratory locust), rather than as "cricket flour". That is why people miss them.
Why "cricket flour" is not what the label says
If you are scanning ingredient lists for the word "cricket", you will find almost nothing. That is not because insects are absent. It is because EU labelling uses the Latin binomial, and manufacturers are entitled to use it.
Acheta domesticus is not a code word. It is the correct scientific name for the house cricket, and using it is legally compliant. It is also, for practical purposes, invisible to a shopper who does not know what it means.
The 12 names to know
House cricket
- Acheta domesticus
- Acheta domesticus powder
- Partially defatted house cricket (Acheta domesticus) powder
- House cricket
Yellow mealworm: the larval form of the mealworm beetle
- Tenebrio molitor
- Tenebrio molitor larva
- Yellow mealworm larvae, dried / powder
- UV-treated powder of whole Tenebrio molitor larvae
Lesser mealworm: also sold as buffalo worm
- Alphitobius diaperinus
- Lesser mealworm larvae
- Buffalo worm
Migratory locust
- Locusta migratoria
Two more to recognise: chitin and chitosan, structural compounds from insect and crustacean exoskeletons, which may be derived from insects.
EU authorisations for house cricket and lesser mealworm carry an explicit warning that people allergic to crustaceans, molluscs and dust mites may react to these ingredients. Insect and crustacean proteins are structurally related. If you have a shellfish allergy, these names belong on your avoid list for medical reasons, not dietary preference.
Where they are permitted
The EU authorisations specify which product categories each insect may be used in. For house cricket powder, the authorised list is long and includes some unexpected everyday items:
Multigrain bread and rolls · Crackers and breadsticks · Cereal bars · Dry pre-mixes for baked goods · Biscuits · Pasta-based products · Pizza · Whey powder · Legume and vegetable dishes · Processed potato products · Sauces · Nuts and oilseeds · Snacks · Soups and soup concentrates · Maize flour-based snacks · Beer-like beverages · Chocolate confectionery · Meat preparations
That is not a niche health-food aisle. It is a normal supermarket.
How common is it, really
Keep this in proportion. Insect ingredients are still rare in mainstream European retail. The authorisations create the legal possibility; commercial adoption remains limited, and products that do use them frequently advertise it, because their buyers want it.
What has changed is that "I would notice" is no longer true. Before 2021 you did not need to check. Now the possibility exists, the label may only say Acheta domesticus, and the only reliable way to know is to look properly.
Checking without memorising
Twelve names and four Latin binomials is more than most people will retain. Scanning the barcode or photographing the ingredient list checks against the full list every time, and it does not get tired at the end of a shop.
Frequently asked
Does the label have to say if food contains crickets?
In the EU, yes. The insect ingredient must be declared, and an allergen warning is required for people sensitive to crustaceans, molluscs and dust mites. But the declaration is commonly the Latin species name, such as Acheta domesticus, rather than "house cricket".
What is Acheta domesticus?
The scientific name for the house cricket. It appears on EU food labels in this form and is authorised as a novel food, including as a partially defatted powder used in baked goods, snacks and other categories.