Insects in Our Food

Singapore has approved 16 insects (including silkworm pupa and mealworm) as food for humans, becoming the latest country to authorize insect products for human consumption. The Guardian describes this as a move that paves the way for plates to become wrigglier, leggier and more sustainable and as a sign of things to come. ⁽¹⁾

Countries and entities, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and the European Union have already approved some insects for human consumption. However, in the US, existing regulations contain few references specifically addressing insects.

Over 1,000 different types of bugs are eaten by cultures throughout the world. In parts of Mexico, Africa and Asia, insects such as water bugs, locusts, termites, ants and grubs are common foods. But the gross fact is, we eat many bugs and bug parts without knowing it. Most foods have insect contaminants. ⁽²⁾

Health inspectors know this and they even allow a set number of bugs, bug parts and rodent contaminants to be allowed in foods. These amounts are called DALs or Defect Food Action Levels.

Experts at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decide on how much contamination is to be allowed in foods sold for human consumption. There is no question regarding how much since it would be impossible to produce food that had no contaminants whatsoever. The FDA’s Food Defect Action Handbook establishes the amounts of contaminants permitted in about one hundred plant-derived foods. At or below these levels. The FDA has determined that the defects, however icky, are harmless. ⁽³⁾

The FDA sets these action levels because it is economically impractical to grow, harvest, or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring unavoidable defects.

Here are some examples of FDA guidelines for maximum levels of certain impurities in some foods.

• Chocolate- 3 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams (a typical chocolate bar is about 40 grams)
• Cocoa beans-10 mg or more mammalian excreta per pound
• Raisins, natural & golden- Average of 40 mg or more of sand and grit per 100 grams of natural or golden bleached raisins
• Peanut butter- Gritty taste and water insoluble inorganic residues in more than 25 mg per 100 grams
• Tomato juice- Average of 10 or more fly eggs per 100 grams or 5, or more fly eggs and 1 or more maggots per 100 grams, or 2 or more maggots per 100 grams in a minimum of 12 subsamples

With chemicals we talk about a few parts per million, parts per billion, or even parts per trillion. With animal excreta, note that 10 mg per pound is equivalent to 20 parts per million. These are serious parts per million!

However, don’t be concerned, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization continues to promote insect consumption as an environmentally friendly way to get protein in your diet, for both humans and their livestock.

References

1. Michael Nevradakis, “Sign of things to come: Singapore approves 16 insects for human consumption,” principia-scientific.org, July 27, 2024
2. Sylvia Branzei, Grossology Begins at Home, (Reading, MA, Addison Wesley Longman, 1997)
3. Defects Levels Handbook, US Food and Drug Administration, current update, September 7, 2018