ARTICLE F&A Alternative Proteins Edition April 2023 27 vegetable or animal origin, whose principal purpose is to meet animals’ nutritional needs, in their natural state, fresh or preserved, and products derived from the industrial processing thereof, and organic or inorganic substances, whether or not containing feed additives, which are intended for use in oral animal-feeding either directly as such, or after processing, or in the preparation of compound feed, or as carrier of premixtures”. Key regulations on feed materials are Regulation (EC) No 767/20091 (“the Feed regulation”) and Regulation (EU) No 68/20132 (the Community Catalogue of feed materials, “the Catalogue”). The Feed regulation lays down rules for the placing on the market and use of feed, including feed materials such as alternative proteins. It also establishes the creation of the Catalogue, a positive and non-exhaustive list of feed materials and manufacturing processes that can be used for feed materials. As EU feed materials, alternative proteins can be marketed and used if they are safe, and they do not have a direct adverse effect on the environment or animal welfare. Products not listed or not covered by entries of the Community Catalogue must be notified in the EU Online Register of Feed Materials before they are marketed3. Some alternative proteins may require a pre-market safety evaluation by EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) depending on their production process, characteristics and/or composition. In addition, further regulations must be considered for certain products. For example, alternative proteins that are derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must also comply with EU regulations on GMOs, including labelling requirements. Processed proteins derived from insects may only be obtained from insect species specified in Regulation (EU) 142/20114 and cannot be used in feeds for ruminant species due to EU “feed ban rules”. Overall, the regulatory framework in the EU aims to ensure that alternative proteins used in animal feeds are safe and of high quality, while also supporting the development of new and innovative sources of protein for sustainable animal nutrition. Table 1 below gives a brief overview of the approved use of insects as alternative protein sources in the EU. In the United States (US), there are several pathways to achieve approval as a new animal food ingredient regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), specifically by the FDA’s Centre for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). In general, alternative proteins, particularly those produced by more modern technologies, follow the FDA-approved GenerWhole insects (untreated) Insects Fats Insect Proteins Whole insects (treated) Live insects Hydrolised insect proteins √ √ √ √ √ X X X X √ X √ √ √ √ X X X X √ √ √ √ √ √ X √ √ √* √* Ruminants Poultry Pigs Aquaculture Pets Table 1. Target species allowed raw material of insect origin in their diet within the EU5 *Approval as of 7 September 2021.
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