The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has released plans to allow edible insects to remain on the market while they undergo the Novel Foods authorisation process to assess their safety.
The plans, which were launched today indicated the FSA was keen to bring forward the necessary legal changes as soon as possible depending on the responses received.
According to FSA policy director Rebecca Sudworth, the proposals are aimed to help businesses that have been “affected by the uncertainty around insects for human consumption since the end of December 2020”.
READ MORE: 26% of consumers willing to try edible insects as protein alternative
Sudworth explained when Britain left the EU, the transitional measures relating to novel foods including edible insects weren’t changed to require businesses to submit applications to Great British regulators.
“Edible insect products will need to pass through the full authorisation process in Great Britain to remain on the market, so we encourage businesses to talk to us about getting their applications in and the support we can provide through the process,” Sudworth said.
“We want anyone with an interest in edible insects, particularly trade organisations and food businesses, to have their voice heard through our consultation.”
As a result, the proposals released today would allow edible insects to remain on sale if they were marketed in the EU or the UK before 1 January 2018 and were the subject of an application to the EU for authorisation as a novel food by 1 January 2019.”Our sector has been farming insects and developing exciting, innovative new food products in the UK for many years and the sector only continues to grow,” UK Edible Insect Association managing director Dr Nick Rosseau added.
“Research from our members’ extensive trials and user testing shows that edible insect products, when professionally farmed and manufactured, offer the environmentally concerned consumer nutritious, tasty, and safe food products that can meet a significant proportion of their protein needs.”
“The support of the FSA will make a huge difference to our ability to prove ourselves in the market.”
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