Interest is growing in the potential benefits of using insects in food and animal feed, but what would be the risks from production, processing and consumption of this alternative source of protein?
EFSA has addressed this question with a risk profile that identifies the potential biological and chemical hazards as well as allergenicity and environmental hazards associated with the use of farmed insects as food and feed. The Scientific Opinion also compares these potential hazards with those associated with mainstream sources of animal protein.
The possible presence of biological and chemical hazards in food and feed products derived from insects would depend on the production methods, what the insects are fed on (substrate), the lifecycle stage at which the insects are harvested, the insect species, as well as the methods used for further processing, EFSA’s scientific experts say.
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