The EU Commission confirmed EFSA’s scientific opinion and authorizes the first edible insect, dried yellow mealworm, to be placed on the European market.

The authorisation will provide for the product to be sold in whole, dried form or to be used as an ingredient in other foods and is the first authorisation of its kind.

The decision particularly affects those players who had looked to take advantage of ambiguous regulations and interpreted the legislation (in particular (EC) 258/97) that whole insects did not need to be considered ‘new’ in the European Union. In her latest article for Les Marchés, Katia Merten-Lentz explores the decision, and what it means for producers

According to the Advocate General Bobek, whole insects intended for human consumption which are to be consumed as such, fall outside the scope of the Novel Food Regulation.

In the case C‑526/19, the Advocate General delivered his Opinion and explained why, in his view, whole insects would not be Novel. He noted that:

“While

Katia Merten-Lentz of international law firm Keller and Heckman looks at how the EU’s regulation of traditional foods from third countries is proving to be a challenge for companies to successfully navigate.

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Since 1997, any food that was not consumed to a significant degree within European

Cannabidiol (‘CBD’) has burst onto the world stage in recent years, and the EU is no exception, with shops selling CBD products opening up in various countries across Europe. While CBD can be incorporated into cosmetics and used for medical uses, it is quickly gaining traction in the food and drink market, with CBD found