Singapore recently approved 16 species of insects as safe for human consumption, reports The Guardian. The list includes crickets, grubs, moth larvae, and one species of honeybee.
“It’s really amazing to see that they have such a big list of species now that are approved for human consumption,” said Skye Blackburn, an Australian entomologist and food scientist who advocates for insect consumption. “It’s really showing that Singapore is a little bit more open than we thought they were going to be to edible insects.”
The Singapore Food Agency noted that it decided to accept insects into its food system because the insect industry is “nascent and insects are a new food item here.”
Singapore’s guidelines are as follows: in the adult stage, four crickets, two grasshoppers, a locust, and a honeybee can be added to foods; in the larval stage, three kinds of mealworms, a white grub, a giant rhino beetle grub, and two moth species can be merchandized; silkworm moths and silkworms can also both be turned into products. The Singapore Food Agency said that companies must clearly indicate on the packaging the use of these insects so as to “indicate the true nature of the product.”
The statement comes as the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization promotes insect consumption as an environmentally friendly protein source, according to the report. The FAO recently said that breeding insects negatively impacts the climate less than raising livestock.“Crickets need six times less feed than cattle, four times less than sheep, and twice less than pigs and broiler chickens to produce the same amount of protein,” said FAO. Additionally, insects can be farmed indoors, taking up less space and water. (SFA)