Insect flour: this is what the new decrees provide for in Italy

The insect flour it is destined to become part of our diet and the government has launched four decrees to regulate the marketing of foods which contain it. The purpose of the rules is to guarantee consumers the maximum clarity and to promote the correct information. The rules state that the labels provide accurate data, so that everyone can shop in a way aware.

The decrees on foods made from insect meal

The government has signed four interministerial decrees to regulate the sale of insect meal-based foods. The provisions concern four particular types of products: cricket meal, migratory locust, yellow grub and mealworm. The norms were signed by Francesco LollobrigidaMinister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Adolfo bearMinister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, and Orazio Tell us, Minister of Health. The new rules provide for alabeling ad hoc for novel foods. These will then be placed on special shelves, in sectors dedicated supermarkets, so as to avoid confusion. Food information should be clear and immediate visible.

New labels

Insect meal food decrees promote a total line transparency. The labels must carry clear information on every aspect of the production chainfrom the provenance of insects, al quantity of alternative flour present, passing through i risks related to consumption. These are related to possible reactions allergic at the we will do ita protein found in the carapace of crickets that can trigger the same effects as shellfish and peanuts.

Schillaci specified that quantify the dangers is not plausible at the moment, but the possible ones symptoms ranging from edema and urticaria to anaphylactic shock. The presence of insect flour must be reported even if it does not reach the level expected maximum, to avoid “indiscriminate use and fraud”.

Insect flour in Italy

The government-signed insect meal bills aim to provide precise regulations for a rapidly expanding industry. Data shows that the value of the novel food branch is soaring. In this 2023 it could reach altitude 261 million dollars, a sum tripled compared to 82 million in 2018. Above all emerging companies operate in the sector start-upbut there is no shortage of large realities previously active in different contexts.

It is expected that by 2025 the capital injections will reach a level 3 billion dollars and that in 2030, only in our country, will the sector give Work to 30,000 full-time employees. One Italian out of three declares himself willing to taste foods made from insect flour, even just out of curiosity. Lollobrigida underlines, however, the ban on using this base for typical foods of the Mediterranean dietsuch as bread and pizza.

Il future of nutrition is related to foods made from insect meal. Italy is adapting to the new guidelines recently dictated on the subject by the European Union. With new decrees, the government is trying to guarantee the transparency that the most wary consumers of these new products are asking for. Except the right everyone to choose what to buy, on which the ministers have insisted, a consistent integration of insects in our diets would lead to savings in terms of space ed emissions. In the world they have been eaten habitually for about 2 billion of people.