The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is set to approve the consumption of sixteen species of insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, and silkworm cocoons as fried snacks or protein bars by the end of this year, as reported by The Straits Times. Citizens of Singapore will soon be able to enjoy a variety of edible insects.
According to the report, these edible insects can be served directly at restaurants or as fried snacks and protein bars for consumers in Singapore.
Before being approved for consumption, the insects will have to meet the food safety requirements set by the Singapore Food Agency, such as undergoing treatment processes to eliminate pathogens, and ensuring that they are appropriately packed and stored to prevent contamination.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), promoting the consumption of insects for human consumption in recent years has been aimed at feeding the world’s growing population in a more sustainable and cost-effective manner.
Following a public consultation exercise held from October 5 to December 4 of last year, the agency is now taking action towards regulating insects and insect products for consumption. This includes the approval of sixteen species of insects for human consumption in Singapore.
The feedback received during the public consultation exercise ranged from scepticism to industry players providing their feedback and concerns about bringing in insect products.
In addition, the FAO stated that edible insects offer high-quality nutrition, require less feed, and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to farmed livestock.
Aside from insects, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will also allow the consumption of silkworm cocoons (from the Bombyx mori species) due to their history of consumption in various regions including China and Malaysia.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced that it will also authorize the consumption of fibroin from silkworm cocoons since it has been approved for consumption in South Korea and Japan, and is considered “generally recognized as safe” by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Despite this move, industry players are still divided on the potential consumer demand for these new food products. However, many are already preparing to launch their products in the market.
The report stated that Christopher Leow, the CEO and Co-founder of Future Protein Solutions, is planning to introduce several “exciting concepts” that incorporate cricket protein, and is exploring innovative marketing strategies to attract consumers towards insect-based products.
“A lot more education would be needed to boost public acceptance of the consumption of insects. So, it might take a while before these insects become mainstream at local restaurants,” he was quoted as saying.
Globally, both high-end restaurants and casual eateries offering insect dishes like crickets remain niche, so a lot more needs to be done to normalise insect consumption, Leow noted.
As per media reports, following the enforcement actions taken by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), certain Chinese and Korean restaurants in Singapore that were selling silkworms without approval have now removed these items from their menu.
“While the consumption of insects is no stranger to a number of Asian countries, the direct introduction of whole insects in restaurant menus here may still be challenging due to the generally negative perception of insects,” Professor William Chen, Director of the Food Science and Technology Programme at Nanyang Technological University said.
