Italian Bakery Uses Cricket Powder in Bread

An Italian bakery has sparked controversy with its latest menu item, bread made with powder from processed crickets.

This follows the recent ruling by the European Commission that partially defatted and powdered house crickets (acheta domesticus) can be marketed and sold as ingredients in food products in the European Union (EU).

The powder is being utilized as an additive to increase the protein content in food.

Enrico Murdocco, the owner of the Tellia restaurant chain in Turin, told Italian media that he conducted baking tests using a mixture of Sicilian grain and cricket powder to try to “soften” the insect flavor.

He described the outcome as having a hazelnut-like taste and was especially pleased with the crust and range of flavors.

Murdocco believes that EU regulators will allow a local farm, which currently imports cricket powder from Vietnam and sells it as animal food, to make powder suitable for human consumption.

He plans to put his bread into production in March and acknowledges that due to the higher production costs and custom-made nature of the product, the price will be around €18-20 ($19-22) per kilogram.

While processed crickets are already used as ingredients in some EU countries, the thought of eating insects in a food product may be unappealing to some.

A company based in Alife, southern Italy, sells crackers made with cricket powder and claims that it is the new health food that can be conveniently hidden in delicious products.

However, insects can attract bacteria and fungi if wounded, ill, or have weak immune systems. These bacteria can release mycotoxins into the insects and into those who consume them.

Many insects consumed as food are technically crustaceans, which can cause allergies in some individuals. Crustacean allergies can be as severe as nut allergies. Consuming crustaceans can also evoke inflammatory responses and potentially lead to other diseases. As inflammation is at the center of most human illnesses, further research is needed to assess the consequences of consuming farmed insects.

Last month, American Faith reported the European Food Safety Authority’s conclusion that “consumption of [cricket powder] may trigger [immune system] sensitization” and recommendation for further study.

Due to the “inconclusive” evidence linking cricket powder to allergic reactions, the European Commission decided not to include specific labeling requirements in the EU list of authorized novel foods.

“[C]onsidering that, to date, evidence directly linking the consumption of Acheta domesticus to cases of primary sensitisation and allergies is inconclusive, the commission considers that no specific labelling requirements concerning the potential of Acheta domesticus to cause primary sensitization should be included in the Union list of authorised novel foods,” the regulation says.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) regularly calls for nations to ingest bugs, urging that “we need to give insects the role they deserve in our food systems” and celebrating the fact that “we might be eating insects soon.”

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