A rather unobvious product, hitherto unknown in Polish cuisine, may appear on shop shelves. The mealworm, as it is referred to, has been approved by the European Union as a novel food. Will we be waiting for hitherto unknown menu items in 2025?

Walking around Vietnam, Laos or Thailand, you can taste local delicacies. In Thailand, grasshoppers, silkworms, water bugs, but also different types of crickets are considered delicacies. They are mostly prepared in fried form. Probably more than one tourist has been delighted by their taste!

Is eating insects only popular in Asia?

The answer may surprise you. Well, it is not only there that you can consume insects. If you take a trip to South America, you can taste Colombian caviar. This is nothing more than roasted ants. You can buy them at the cinema, for example, instead of popcorn. Interestingly, in some European countries, insects are a culinary variety. An example is Finland, where insects were recognised as food in 2017, which led to the establishment of cricket farms there. This has resulted in the emergence of new products - including pizza and bread, which are made from cricket flour.

Edible insects - food for 2 billion people worldwide

Insects are estimated to be a regular part of the diet of around 2 billion people worldwide. More than 2,000 species of insects are considered edible, but a much smaller proportion have become specialities. Specialities that don't particularly surprise anyone anymore include beetles, butterfly and moth caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers and even flies. These are tops in tropical countries.

Where did the idea to eat insects on a daily basis come from?

Humans have been eating insects since prehistoric times. Although some people are disgusted by them, this does not change the fact that they are a valuable source of complete protein and dietary fibre. Interestingly, they also contain vitamins such as E, B1, B12 and B6. They are also a valuable source of minerals such as zinc, iron, calcium and manganese.

It can be argued that the production of edible insects is efficient and ecological. The question arises - why? Simply because the production of one kilogramme of mealworms is associated with the release into the atmosphere of approximately twice as much CO₂ than poultry or dairy protein production.

What about the mealworm?

It is a common species of beetle that occurs naturally on most continents. It is not encountered only in Antarctica. EFSA experts have now concluded that the mealworm is a safe and valuable source of protein. It can currently be found in food in dried form, ground or as an ingredient in processed food products.