The UK’s edible insect association welcomes FSA announcement

Following BREXIT and months of uncertainty around the status of edible insects in the UK market, the Woven Network has been lobbying the Government to accept the inherent safety and value of these food items.

We believe that over 1m UK consumers have already eaten insect products prior to them being reclassified as Novel Foods and requiring formal approval.

We are very pleased that the Food Standards Agency has announced its intention to allow a Transition Arrangement that will allow products containing edible insects to be sold across the country.

This news is a major milestone for the edible insect industry and a vital step forward for British consumers in being able to benefit from this highly versatile and sustainable alternative source of protein.

The FSA has launched a public consultation today that will lead to Parliament debating and hopefully approving this arrangement in the autumn.

Businesses around the UK are ready to start shipping products to customers and vendors as soon as we have the green light. There are many exciting and tasty new products coming onto the market!

Dr Nick Rousseau, Founder of the Woven Network and Chair of the Woven Board said: “Following BREXIT, the sector has been in limbo regarding the legal status of edible insects in the UK. This has resulted in retailers withdrawing stock from shelves, companies shifting to new product categories and a few of our members closing down. We have been presenting a consistent message to the Government, backed up by considerable evidence, that insects are safe to eat and this news shows that they recognise this.

We are keen to make up for lost time and start to see the growth in sales that we have predicted, based on the potential for edible insects to provide new alternative sources of

protein for UK consumers that offer a strong combination of sustainability, flavour and nutritional value”

Leo Taylor, YumBug Director said “We are delighted that the FSA have come out to give edible insects the legal green light. Regulatory confusions post-Brexit has made it a rocky couple of years for UK edible insect businesses – including our own, having to delay product launches and making raising investor capital tricky. We look forward to continuing working with the FSA to ensure the highest level of food safety across our supply-chain, and to grow this very exciting new sector in the UK."

We will continue to update you on the growing progress of legislation and we endeavour to achieve a voice for all those in the edible insect sector.