Insect Novel Food Regulation: EU Rules, Approved Species and Labelling
Before an insect-based ingredient can legally be sold as food in many countries, it has to clear a specific regulatory hurdle. Here is what "Novel Food" actually means for insects, which species are currently authorised, and what it changes for the label on your plate.
1. What "Novel Food" means
In the EU, the Novel Food Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 requires that any food or ingredient with no significant history of consumption in the EU before May 1997 pass a safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before it can be sold. Because whole insects and insect-derived ingredients had no such history on the European market, they fall squarely under this regime — unlike flour or sugar, an insect ingredient cannot simply be put on sale; a producer must first obtain a specific market authorisation for that species, in that particular form.
2. Which insect species are authorised in the EU
As of this writing, four insect species have cleared the EU's Novel Food process:
- Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), dried and as powder — the first to be authorised, in 2021
- Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), dried and frozen — authorised in 2021
- House cricket (Acheta domesticus), frozen, dried and as powder — authorised in 2022
- Lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus), frozen, paste, dried and as powder — authorised in 2023
Each authorisation is narrow: it covers one species, in specific physical forms (whole, ground, defatted...), produced under conditions matching the original safety dossier. A 2025 decision extended the yellow mealworm authorisation to a UV-treated powder as well — a reminder that each new form or process needs its own green light, not just the species. For the fuller picture of which species and derivatives actually turn up in food, see our
complete list of insects in food.
3. What authorisation covers — and what it doesn't
Market authorisation isn't a blanket permission to sell "insects" — it is permission to sell a specific product from a specific approved production chain. In practice, this means:
- Only insects farmed for food use, under traceable and hygienic conditions, qualify — wild-caught insects are not covered
- Each authorised form (dried, powder, frozen...) is listed individually; a new processing method requires a new application
- Any company wanting to market an authorised product generally still has to follow the labelling and traceability conditions set out in the relevant implementing regulation
This is part of why the same four species keep reappearing on ingredient lists across the EU — building a new safety dossier through EFSA takes several years.
4. Labelling rules: what has to appear on the pack
Once authorised, an insect ingredient can be sold like any other food ingredient, but EU food law still requires it to be named clearly in the ingredient list — by its common name (for example "partially defatted house cricket (
Acheta domesticus) powder"), not hidden behind a generic term. On top of that, because insect proteins such as tropomyosin are structurally similar to proteins found in crustaceans, molluscs and house dust mites, products containing insect ingredients are expected to carry an allergen warning for people with a known crustacean, mollusc or dust-mite allergy — the same group already flagged by food safety authorities as being at risk of a cross-reaction. For more on how that risk works in practice, see our guide on
whether insects in food are dangerous.
5. Outside the EU: a more fragmented picture
The EU's "one species, one dossier" approach is not the global norm. In the United States, there is no equivalent pre-market "novel food" authorisation specifically for insects: a producer instead self-affirms — or seeks an FDA "no questions" letter on — a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for each ingredient, and insects raised and processed as food (not wild-caught) are generally permitted under existing food-safety law. In practice, this has meant cricket flour and similar products have been sold in the US for years without an EU-style, species-by-species pre-approval list. Other countries each set their own rules, so the same product can be fully authorised in one market while still pending approval in another.
6. Why this matters when you read a label
Regulation decides what can legally be sold, but it does not guarantee that you will immediately recognise an insect ingredient. A compliant label can simply read "
Acheta domesticus powder" with no further explanation, or disclose an additive like carmine or shellac — covered in our guide to
insect-derived food additives — by its E number alone. Knowing which Latin names and E numbers to look for is still the most reliable way to catch these ingredients. For general tips on reading labels, see our guide on
how to know if food contains insects.
7. How to check your products
- Scan the barcode with the Insect Scan app for an instant check
- Look specifically for the names of the four currently authorised EU species: Tenebrio molitor, Locusta migratoria, Acheta domesticus and Alphitobius diaperinus
- If you have a crustacean, mollusc or dust-mite allergy, treat any of these ingredients as a precaution flag and check with the manufacturer if in doubt
- Remember that rules evolve — new species and forms are reviewed regularly, so a product that's compliant today may carry a different label tomorrow
In summary
In the EU, insect ingredients require a specific Novel Food market authorisation before sale, and four species — yellow mealworm, migratory locust, house cricket and lesser mealworm — are currently authorised, each in defined forms. Labels must name the ingredient and should flag the crustacean/dust-mite allergy cross-reaction risk. Outside the EU, including in the US, regulation is less centralised and relies more on case-by-case safety review. The only reliable way to know what's really in your food is to read the label carefully — or let the Insect Scan app do it for you.
- Insect ingredients need specific EU market authorisation before sale
- Four species are currently authorised: yellow mealworm, migratory locust, house cricket, lesser mealworm
- Labels must name the ingredient and flag the crustacean/dust-mite cross-reaction risk
- Scan your products with Insect Scan to check instantly