Brussels, 22 December 2023
See question(s) : E-002275/2023
EN
E-002275/2023
Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission
(22.12.2023)
All foods placed on the EU market have to comply with the labelling requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1169/20111 on Food Information to Consumers. This Regulation provides the basis for a high level of consumer protection through food information and lays down the means to guarantee consumer rights in this regard. It requires the mandatory indication of all ingredients on pre-packed food and provides that mandatory food information shall be marked so as to be easily visible, clearly legible and, where appropriate, indelible. The Novel Food Regulation2 requires a comprehensive range of safety data to be assessed by the European Food Safety Authority prior to any authorisation. Following the positive outcome of the safety assessment for certain insects, the Commission authorised them as novel foods, subject to additional labelling requirements with the indication of the name of the specific insects, and of the fact that they may cause allergic reactions (see corresponding authorising Regulations3,4,5,6,7,8).
The Commission considers that the existing legal framework ensures that consumers are well informed about the presence of insects in their food and about any potential risks, thus enabling them to make informed choices about the food they eat. With the exception of the EU promotion policy for agricultural products, where Member States endorsed the work programme for 2024, the Commission does not have policy and funding tools to support promotion of specific products by operators. The work programme is available for public consultation9.
1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32011R1169
2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32015R2283
3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/0882/oj
4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/1975/oj
5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/169/oj
6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/188/oj
7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/5/oj
8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/58/oj
9 https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-11/commission-decision-c2023_7602-annex_en.pdf