The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the first insect to approve mealworms as food for humans. This is a very important step in the admission process. Now it is up to the committee and the member states to decide on the effective admission and implementation on the European market.

Until now, mealworm was only used in the EU as an ingredient in animal feed, but that is about to change. Soon you will be able to find mealworms in the supermarket. Not only as “whole” mealworm, but also, for example, as a powder or mealworms processed in biscuits, bread and pasta.

The animal is full of good nutrients, so it contains a lot of protein, fats and fiber. They would be a good substitute for meat, because in addition to the good nutrients, the mealworm provides environmental benefits compared to meat:

Much less water is needed to produce mealworms than to produce meat.
Mealworms need much less space than a cow, chicken or pig;
Mealworms need less food, this is because insects don’t need food to keep their body warm, they are cold-blooded.
Insects emit less greenhouse gases than cows and pigs
You can eat mealworms completely, so no food is wasted. This is not possible with a chicken, pig or cow.

Mealworms have long been on the menu for human consumption in parts of Asia, Africa and Australia. If the EU adopts the EFSA advice, they can also be put on the map in the EU.