Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of insect-based novel foods on the farming industry.

The Food Standards’ Authority’s (FSA) role, as set out in law, is to safeguard public health and protect the interests of consumers in relation to food. In Great Britain, edible insects are considered novel foods and so food businesses that wish to sell them need to submit an application for a safety assessment by the FSA and Food Standards Scotland, before they can be placed on the market.

The FSA is in regular contact with companies submitting applications for the use of edible insects in or as food.