Gourmet crickets, Italians don’t like

Grilli and larvae on the plate? No thank you! The fashion of insects at the table is not taken on Italians with imports of this type of product for food consumption that collapsed by 30% in 2024, according to a Coldiretti projection on Istat data. The arrivals – underlines Coldiretti – went from 17,600 kilograms of 2023 to 11,500 last year. Moreover, numbers also confirmed by the latest survey by Notosondaggi, according to which 78% of Italians who express an opinion are contrary to the consumption of foods that contain insects also in flour, despite the aggressive campaigns in favor of the introduction in the diet, on the base of alleged “green” values.

In addition to being very far from national gastronomic culture – Coldiretti recalls – the consumption of these products raises important questions regarding health and environmental health and safety. Alongside the fact of being potentially allergenic, most of these insects are produced and transformed into non-EU countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand and China, which for years have occupied the first positions in the rankings for the number of food alarms.

Many doubts had, however, has also raised the last eu go -ahead on the arrival on the larvae of Tenobrio Moliter (yellow part of the flour) on the market of the larvae treated with ultraviolet rays to increase the content of vitamin D. a production procedure from A real “ultra transformed” which, according to Coldiretti, should be accompanied by a precise labeling to correctly inform consumers.

The marketing of insects for food purposes – Coldiretti recalls – was made possible in Europe by the entry into force since January 1, 2018 of the EU Regulation on “novel food” which allows to recognize insects both as new foods and as traditional products from countries third parties. On the occasion of the arrival on the market of the first products based on Coldiretti insects, he asked that their presence was indicated on the label since the consumption of these insects can cause reactions to allergic people to crustaceans and mites of dust. An appeal followed by the signature of four decrees to ensure the necessary transparency to consumers.