Which insects are legally approved in EU food?
Four insect species are authorised as novel foods in the EU: yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), house cricket (Acheta domesticus) and lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus). Each authorisation specifies permitted forms, product categories and maximum levels, and requires an allergen warning.
How EU novel food authorisation works
Any food without a significant history of consumption in the EU before 15 May 1997 is a novel food. It cannot be sold until the applicant submits a dossier, EFSA completes a safety assessment, and the European Commission grants an authorisation by implementing regulation.
Authorisations are narrow by design. Each one specifies:
- The exact species and the exact form: dried whole, powder, partially defatted, UV-treated
- Which product categories it may be used in
- Maximum permitted levels per category
- Mandatory labelling, including the allergen warning
Authorisations are usually granted to a specific applicant with a period of data protection, meaning other companies cannot rely on the same dossier for several years.
The four authorised species
| Species | Common name | Authorised forms |
|---|---|---|
| Tenebrio molitor | Yellow mealworm | Dried larvae, powder; later a UV-treated whole-larvae powder |
| Locusta migratoria | Migratory locust | Frozen, dried, powdered |
| Acheta domesticus | House cricket | Frozen, dried, powdered; later partially defatted powder |
| Alphitobius diaperinus | Lesser mealworm / buffalo worm | Frozen, paste, dried, powdered |
The yellow mealworm was first, authorised in 2021 and the first insect ever cleared as a novel food in the EU. Migratory locust followed later that year, house cricket in 2022 with a partially defatted powder added in 2023, and lesser mealworm in 2023. A UV-treated Tenebrio molitor powder, where the UV treatment raises vitamin D content, was authorised in January 2025.
What they can go into
Each authorisation lists categories. Across the four species these include multigrain bread and rolls, crackers and breadsticks, cereal bars, dry pre-mixes for baked products, biscuits, pasta-based products, pizza, whey powder, legume and vegetable dishes, processed potato products, sauces, nuts and oilseeds, snacks, soups, maize-flour snacks, beer-like beverages, chocolate confectionery and meat preparations.
The rationale is protein content and environmental footprint. Insect farming uses substantially less land, water and feed per kilogram of protein than conventional livestock, which is why the EU has been receptive.
The labelling requirements
Two things are mandatory:
Species declaration. The ingredient must be named, and the Commission has been explicit that the type of insect must be indicated. In practice this is usually the Latin binomial.
Allergen warning. For house cricket and lesser mealworm, the label must warn that the ingredient may cause allergic reactions in people allergic to crustaceans, molluscs and dust mites. This is a safety requirement based on protein cross-reactivity, not a courtesy.
Everything above is properly regulated. The friction is that "properly labelled" and "obvious to a shopper" are not the same thing. <em>Alphitobius diaperinus</em> is a compliant declaration and it is also meaningless to almost everyone reading it. That gap is not fraud. It is a labelling design problem, and it is the reason scanners exist.
What about the UK and US?
UK. After Brexit the UK operates its own novel food regime under the FSA. Some edible insect products remained on the market under transitional arrangements while applications were assessed, and the UK position has diverged from the EU's.
US. There is no equivalent novel food regime. Insect-based foods are generally sold under GRAS provisions, and cricket protein products have been available for longer than in Europe, typically marketed openly as insect protein.
Frequently asked
Is it legal to put crickets in food in Europe?
Yes, within limits. House cricket, yellow mealworm, lesser mealworm and migratory locust are authorised as novel foods. Each authorisation specifies permitted forms, product categories and maximum levels, and requires the species to be declared plus an allergen warning.
Do insect ingredients have to be declared on the label?
Yes. EU rules require the insect ingredient to be named, and the Commission has stated that the type of insect must be indicated. The practical difficulty is that the declaration is usually the Latin species name.