Lesser mealworms are about to find their way into protein products after they were declared safe for human consumption by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
This is not only good news for the insect industry, but it will also enable Ÿnsect – a global leader in transforming insects into high-performance natural protein – to expand production and distribution in Europe in accordance with the EU’s sustainability goals. The company’s top priority is to use insect protein to help feed the world’s growing population, conserve resources and biodiversity, and fight global warming.
“The recent assessment by EFSA that lesser mealworms are safe for human consumption is a significant step forward for the company’s expansion”, said Antoine Hubert, CEO, and co-founder of Ÿnsect.
“Mealworm protein offers the best of both worlds, as nutritionally beneficial as animal protein, but with a much lower environmental impact.
“The scientific community is increasingly rallying around the idea, with a 2022 report by the University of Helsinki suggesting that a diet incorporating large amounts of insect protein offers the optimum solution to reduce environmental impact by over 80 per cent while offering high nutritional benefits to consumers.”
Lesser mealworm is used in a variety of products across Europe, including Zirp, which can be found in more than 800 Bila stores in Austria, cereal bars and Issac shakes, and gourmet burgers made from beetles found in several Danish restaurants. The company has been accelerating the commercialisation of its products across new European markets.
Ÿnsect and OnePoll conducted a survey across the UK, the US, the Netherlands, and France which showed 57 per cent were willing to consume insects once the environmental and health benefits had been explained, and 96 per cent of the 8326 adults who had already eaten insects or insect protein said they liked them or would try them again.
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