EU Approves Insect Powder in Foods: UV-Treated Mealworms Allowed Up to 4% in Bread, Cheese & More

The European Commission legally approved use of mealworm powder irradiated with UV, a move towards alternative and renewable sources of protein in yet another move in the EU quest for such sources. In its Regulation (EU) 2025/89, approval for use of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larval) powder, irradiated with ultraviolet (UVB) radiation, in foods including bread, cheese, pasta, processed potatoes, and fruit and veg compotes, has been approved.

This decision comes in the wake of a careful examination under European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) under European Union’s Novel Food Regulation (EU 2015/2283). There is a proper scientific analysis for food security in terms of compliance with a new ingredient entering the market. EFSA’s tests confirmed that mealworm powder with a UV treatment is safe for use in humans under specific conditions.

The approval requires mealworm powder to go through a UVB light processing, fortifying its vitamin D and nutritional sufficiency level. Products with such an ingredient must, in addition, have an allergen label, specifically alerting persons with a crustacean allergy to its potential danger.

Insects are becoming a high-fiber, high-protein source of food with a much smaller environment footprint compared to traditional farm animals. In harmony with global efforts towards alternative sources of proteins in a search for food security, approval comes in terms of mealworms, for instance, consuming less land, water, and food and, therefore, a cleaner alternative source of protein.

The EU’s action is in harmony with the new global trend towards insect foods. In Poland alone, for instance, insect foods including cricket and mealworm-enriched snacks have become increasingly in demand in terms of sales. In Singapore, 16 types of insects, including beetles and grasshoppers, have been approved for consumption in 2024, but only when reared in farms approved and cleared for such purpose.

Despite these advances, acceptance of insects in consumption continues to pose a challenge in parts of the world. Allergen issue, cultural acceptance, and preference in terms of taste could impact consumption level. Individual European Union nations could even have supplementary legislation and directives for use in foods of insect powder.

Experts from organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Economic Forum advocate for increased use of insect foods in a future food system that is sustainable. Insects, in their view, can make a considerable contribution towards a greenhouse gas emissions drop in conventional cattle rearing and become a useful source of protein.