ISSUE FOCUS 22 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE October 2022 tory locust (3 December 2021), dried, ground and frozen house cricket (2nd March 2022), the second on frozen, dried and powder yellow mealworm (28th February 2022). Two EFSA opinions are still waiting for authorisation (partially defatted house cricket (EFSA’ opinion 13 May 2022) and frozen and freeze-dried formulations of the lesser mealworm (EFSA’ opinion published on 4 July 2022)) 1. Last but not least, the European insect sector also welcomed Regulation (EU) 2021/1925 which defined EU baseline standards for the production and placing on the market of insect frass as organic fertiliser. The legal text aligned the heat treatment process standards for the placing on the market of frass with those applying to processed animal manure, creating harmonisation in the processing standards in the Member States, and paving the way for the commercialisation of these products on the whole EU market. The animal feed industry has been experiencing serious problems such as the supply of feed ingredients/grains due to global warming, drought, pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine. And, an energy crisis has now been added to this, as well. Could insects or other alternative proteins contribute to the solutions of such problems in the future? How do you evaluate the potential of the EU insect industry in this regard? In synergy with other EU agri-food sectors and stakeholders, the European insect sector is committed to providing innovative and sustainable solutions which should contribute to reducing our dependence on imported proteins as well as mineral fertilisers and strengthen EU self-sufficiency of our food supply chains. By expanding the list of feeding substrates for farmed insects, the sector could notably help generate locally produced feed and food products while contributing to safely upcycle losses originating from European agri-food industries. Indeed, up to a third of the food waste generated presently in the EU may be used as insect substrate - before it is classified as ‘waste’. Currently, by-/co-products from grains, starch, fruit and vegetable supply chain products are authorised as substrates for insects. In the future, the possible authorisation of former foodstuffs containing and meat and fish and catering waste would play a key role in upcycling the production capacity of the sector and help facing the supply challenges of our times. Hermetia Baruth (Germany)
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