Field locust approved as food in EU

After mealworms, residents of the European Union will soon be able to put grasshoppers on the table. The European Commission approves the European field grasshopper to serve as a foodstuff. A Dutch company had requested this.

The grasshopper may soon be sold ground, but also frozen or dried whole. The legs and wings will have to be removed so as not to demand too much of the digestive system. The insect can be eaten as a snack, but also as an ingredient for other foods. The grasshopper is rich in important proteins, among other things, and can serve well as a substitute for meat.

Insects are already widely eaten elsewhere in the world, but in Europe until recently only a few species were sometimes fed to animals. This changed with the introduction of the yellow mealworm, which has been allowed on the menu in the EU for a few months now. It is likely that the house cricket will also be approved soon.

The Netherlands also believes that insects should end up on our plates more often in the coming years. They are a lot less of a burden on the environment and climate than, for example, beef cattle.

Europa-nu.nl