The Singapore Food Agency has approved 16 insect species, including crickets, grasshoppers, and silkworms, for human consumption and use in animal feed.
The agency stated that it has developed a regulatory framework for insects that can be approved as food. This framework applies to businesses intending to import, farm, or process insects into food or animal feed.
The insect species must have a documented history of human consumption, not introduce contaminants during farming and processing, must be farmed in regulated facilities with stringent food safety controls, must not be harvested from the wild, and the final product must be safe for consumption.
Food companies must label the presence of insects when they are included in packaged foods.
The country joins Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, and all EU countries, where the consumption of certain insect species is also permitted.
The European Commission approved the use of insects in food last year, citing their high protein content and the fact that they require much less land and water to produce than meat. Like Singapore, EU countries mandate labeling insect use on packaging. A 2021 survey revealed that the French showed the highest willingness among EU nations to incorporate insects into their diet.
