Expanding opportunities for insect use in pet food

The pet food industry is seeing a shift towards more sustainable and nutritious solutions. One promising option is the use of insects as a primary ingredient in alternative pet food products. But are consumers and legislators ready for this development?

European consumers are open-minded

The idea of consuming insects as a regular part of the diet may seem unusual to some, but it is gaining traction across the globe.

Entomophagy – the practice of eating insects – has been a part of the diets of many cultures for centuries, particularly in regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

As global food sustainability becomes a more pressing issue, the West is beginning to embrace insects as a viable food source.

A recent IPIFF survey into consumer acceptance of edible insects gave some encouraging results. The data was collected in September to October 2023 from 3,000 respondents aged 18+, with an equal split between male and female participants, in the largest EU markets: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden.

A third of respondents had already eaten insect-enriched products. And 6 out of 10 of these Europeans rated the taste as “very good”.

The key factors that drive the respondents’ changes in food habits are taste, market availability, health benefits, product pricing, environmental sustainability and food origin.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the younger age groups who are the most likely to try insect-based food.

Sports supplements, for example, are among the most appealing insect-enriched food products, with 71% of respondents saying they would consider eating them.

The survey respondents were asked their opinions of the different types of insect-based food and insect ingredients they’d tried, and this gave encouraging though differing responses.

Although these findings are about insect-enriched food for human consumption, the general acceptance of insect ingredients as a sustainable and nutritious alternative is a positive sign for future purchasing intent with regard to insect-based options for pets.

Current EU organic food regulations

Today, insect proteins are allowed for use as feed for farmed fish, poultry and pig species, as well as in food for pets, fur animals and other non-food producing animals (e.g. reptiles, birds of prey, and zoo and circus animals).

There is no positive list of insect species that are authorized for pet food.

Consequently, any species that is not pathogenic to humans or animals may be used in nutrition, provided there is compliance with EU feed legislation (e.g. approval of the production facility), as well as the hygiene and processing requirements laid down in EU animal by-products legislation.¹

On 28 November 2022, the European Commission (EC) adopted a legislative proposal aimed at providing legal certainty for pet food producers, while giving guidance on how to use the EU organic production logo.

On 18 October 2023, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation² establishing a new regulatory framework defining the conditions under which organically produced pet food may be labeled.

The newly adopted rules clarify that pet food can be labeled as organic if at least 95% of the weight of its agricultural ingredients is organic.

This clarification is critical, since there is currently no organic insect legislation at the European level, and pet food manufacturers who want to complement their mix with nutritious insect-derived protein can make use of the 5% leeway.

Proposed rules for insect use

Discussions are ongoing between the EC and EU member states with the aim of establishing organic production rules for farmed insects.

Last year, the Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production was asked to make recommendations. Its opinion is expected to be published before the end of 2024.

EU discussions should resume once this report has been published, paving the way for possible adoption of new rules during 2025. In the context of these discussions, IPIFF advocates for tailor-made rules that could apply to the insect farming reality.

Current EU legislation does not take into account invertebrate animals such as insects, which may lead to unrealistic standards.

Insect ingredients complying with these future EU standards for organic insect production would also be eligible for use in organic pet food, above the 5% leeway to be authorized under the new horizontal EU rules on organic pet food.

¹IPIFF Guide on Good Hygiene Practices for EU producers of insects as food and feed, p.23, February 2024
²Regulation (EU) 2023/2419 published in the EU Official Journal on 27 October 2023, came into effect on 17 November 2023