From February 10 EU law has allowed food manufacturers to use insect larvae powder in foods and I am appalled at this.
The EU has passed a binding EU law (EU regulation 2025/89) which has entered into force across every member state.
It permits manufacturers of foods like pasta, bread, cheese and jam to use up to 4% yellow mealworm larvae powder.
It must be written in the food ingredients in both Latin and the common English name.
Many people find the idea of insect grub ingredients in their food disgusting. The contents of the food are printed on the package, but really, how many people actually check the ingredients of their food every day?
As a patriotic MEP who believes in national sovereignty, I am opposed to the EU imposing such laws uniformly across the EU. As a democrat and Danish patriot, I find the idea of laws being imposed on Denmark without final approval of the Danish people, to be very worrying indeed.
The whole idea of insect powder being used intentionally for human consumption is to most people, utterly disgusting. It is appalling that many people after February 10 may find themselves unwitting consumers because, if we are straight about it, most people do not spend their day reading food labels.
Many people take food on trust that the ingredients are checked, approved and OK. They don’t suspect that insect larvae powder will be on the menu.
By making this a binding EU regulation, the EU is ignoring, indeed trashing, the cultural and culinary diversity of the countries of Europe. Who ever thought that, under EU regulation that the English slang word ‘grub’ would some day contain real insect grubs?
UV treated and dried or not, the thought of insect larvae used intentionally for human consumed food is quite revolting.
And yet there is more. The European Commission website tells us that other insects have already been approved so food manufacturers can use them.
The EU now approves UV-treated powder of whole yellow mealworm as a novel food.
From February 10 this product will be placed on the EU market.
The European Commission website tell us, “This has already happened to a number of insects such as yellow mealworm, migratory locust, house cricket, in addition to partially defatted powder obtained from whole Acheta domesticus (house cricket).”
But why has the European Commission taken such drastic steps by smashing up the gastronomic taboos of Europe?
The cult of climate change looms large in the Berlaymont and like a paper published on the ‘World Economic Forum’ website, the justification of insects in our food is cow-phobia or bovine -hysteria. A straight up fear of farting cows is the justification for grubs in our grub. Taking from poverty-stricken Asian countries, the European Commission wants to substitute insect protein powder for meat and fish protein.
Who would have ever thought when Denmark joined the then Common Market in 1973, the same as the UK, that as a consequence of EU membership, we would end up with food producers being given EU approval to put insect larvae in our loaves of bread?
Another chilling aspect of this whole farce is the power of EU Regulations which are EU laws binding immediately and directly on national legislation.
Even if every Danish MP voted to stop the use of insect powder in our food, the EU regulation would still hold sway. In matters of EU competence, EU law is superior to Danish law, the Danish Constitution and the Danish Supreme Court.
Whatever happened to national democracy? Well, it has been strangled by decades of EU membership and national powers have been drained away by successive EU treaties. Our national democracy is like a lobster being cooked in boiling water, democratically and financially, being in the EU is a painful experience.
Along with my kids, I recently watched the cartoon movie “It’s a Bug’s Life”. It portrays an army of ants going to war with a group of grasshoppers to stop them stealing their food.
Watching it, I never thought the EU would pass laws to allow pastas makers put dried grasshoppers in our food.
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