SINGAPORE – Foodies here may soon get to chomp on insects in eateries, or as fried snacks and protein bars. Also on the menu: silkworm cocoons.

Sixteen species of insects, such as crickets, silkworms and grasshoppers, will receive the green light from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for human consumption in the second half of 2023.

The approval of the insects for consumption will be subject to food safety requirements, including treatment processes to kill pathogens and ensuring that they are packed and stored safely to prevent contamination.

 

The move comes after the agency held a public consultation exercise from Oct 5 to Dec 4, 2022, on the regulation of insects and insect products. It received 53 responses. These ranged from scepticism to feedback and concerns from industry players planning to bring in insect products.

SFA told The Straits Times in October 2022 that it had conducted a scientific review and assessed that specific species of insects with a history of human consumption can be eaten, either directly, or made into items such as snacks.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has in recent years been promoting insects for human consumption in a bid to feed the world’s growing population in a more affordable and sustainable way.

 

Besides insects, SFA said it will also permit the cocoons of Bombyx mori, better known as silkworms, for human consumption in Singapore, given that these have been consumed in China and Malaysia, among other places.

Silkworms produce cocoons with silk threads, which are composed of two main proteins, known as sericin and fibroin.

While silk has traditionally been used to produce textiles, ST understands that technological developments in recent years have allowed companies to turn these silk threads into food and edible coatings, with many Japanese biotech firms making strides in this area.

SFA said that it will also permit fibroin from silkworm cocoons for consumption, given that the protein has been approved in South Korea and Japan, and is “generally recognised as safe” by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration.

But those looking to introduce black soldier fly larvae as food will have to get approval from SFA under its novel foods framework as there is no known history of human consumption.

 

Besides insects, SFA said it will also permit the cocoons of Bombyx mori, better known as silkworms, for human consumption in Singapore, given that these have been consumed in China and Malaysia, among other places.

Silkworms produce cocoons with silk threads, which are composed of two main proteins, known as sericin and fibroin.

While silk has traditionally been used to produce textiles, ST understands that technological developments in recent years have allowed companies to turn these silk threads into food and edible coatings, with many Japanese biotech firms making strides in this area.

SFA said that it will also permit fibroin from silkworm cocoons for consumption, given that the protein has been approved in South Korea and Japan, and is “generally recognised as safe” by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration.

But those looking to introduce black soldier fly larvae as food will have to get approval from SFA under its novel foods framework as there is no known history of human consumption.

 

Professor William Chen, director of the Food Science and Technology Programme at Nanyang Technological University, said that 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 general negative perception of insects.

“One way to integrate insects into our diet would be to add insect proteins into familiar foods such as pasta, with proper labelling. With no sight of the whole insects and no change in the taste – I can safely say this after tasting spaghetti bolognese made with mealworm protein-based pasta – consumers would slowly accept insect-based foods,” he added.