EU Commission approves locust as food

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Fried grasshopper: "No risk to human health"

Photo: J. Pfeiffer / picture alliance / imageBROKER

The EU Commission has approved the European migratory locust as a new type of food.

The grasshopper is offered in powder form, dried or frozen as a food and can be added as a snack or other ingredient in food, the commission said on Friday.

According to a report by the European Food Safety Authority, the insect "poses no risk to human health". The insect should be listed in the ingredients.

There are several thousand edible insect species worldwide.

The animals are considered to be nutritious and rich in protein and are part of the common cuisine in many countries.

The EU Commission announced that insects could contribute to sustainable nutrition.

There is great interest in the topic.

The first insect, the yellow mealworm, was released in the European Union in January.

It is also expected that this could also happen for other insects in the future.

There are around nine insects for which there are applications for approval.

Products that were hardly consumed before May 15, 1997 are considered novel foods.

mfh / dpa