From niche to necessity: EU turns focus onto insect protein
Political recognition and circular-feed initiatives are strengthening the case for alternative proteins, but regulatory bottlenecks still stand in the way of scale.
The EU Protein Action Plan, presented by the European Commission (EC) in July, formally recognizes insects as part of Europe’s protein resilience strategy, laying the foundations for cheaper, more scalable insect protein. Pet food is emerging as a commercial and nutritional proving ground.
Substantial commercial potential
So far, insect protein has hovered at the edge of the mainstream – celebrated by sustainability advocates, scrutinized by regulators and viewed with curiosity by consumers. The pet food industry ticks a lot of the boxes that could support a breakthrough.
Data from the European Pet Food Industry Federation FEDIAF illustrates the commercial potential: 140 million EU households (equivalent to 49%) own a pet. The industry sells 8.6 million tonnes of pet food products annually, amounting to €29.4 billion ($33.7B) in sales, and has a 4% annual value growth rate.
Even a modest shift toward insect-based formulations would therefore represent a substantial market opportunity for both the insect protein sector and pet industry players.
Recognition for insect-based proteins
The EU cannot meet its protein resilience goals without diversifying sources. Plant protein remains the primary focus in the EC’s roadmap to increase the share of EU-produced crop protein used in animal feed from 25% to 35% by 2035. Nevertheless, the Commission has for the first time officially recognized alternative protein sources – including insects – as part of the solution.
That recognition matters. As German agricultural publication Agrarzeitung notes, the Protein Action Plan’s acknowledgment of alternative proteins is “progress”, even if concrete funding measures remain thin.
It also mentions that the industrial plants needed to produce alternative protein sources could be supported by the European Competitiveness Fund, alongside investment in research and innovation (R&I) to improve competitiveness. This translates into a window of opportunity for the insect sector to scale up production.
The European Commission Aquafeed and GHG Aquaculture reduction studies go further, proposing the de-risking of private investment, tailored financial support and binding targets – recommendations that echo those of the sector itself.
Strategic lever for protein sovereignty
The International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) has been urging EU member states to treat insects not merely as an environmental alternative, but as a strategic lever to tackle import dependencies and build a resilient, decentralized protein supply chain. The sector’s framing is deliberate; insects are not a niche sustainability experiment, but a matter of European protein sovereignty.
During the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) meeting in July 2025, EU agriculture ministers explicitly acknowledged the need for the EC to consider the insect sector’s specific contribution to the broader Protein Strategy.
Strong political signal
The Protein Action Plan provides the strongest political signal to date that insects are recognized as a key enabler of circular feed systems.
It states plainly: “With a view to promoting a circular bioeconomy, using former foodstuffs, byproducts and co-products from food production as animal feed supports circular bioeconomy goals by reducing waste, preserving nutrients, and delivering economic and environmental benefits.”
It adds: “Circular feed may also involve considering new sources of nutrients for use in animal nutrition, such as protein derived from insects.”
Regulatory bottlenecks
However, there are still some regulatory barriers standing in the way of scaling insect-based feed. The EU Greenhouse Gas Reduction Study on Aquaculture, published in June, bluntly states: “Review and adapt food safety and feed marketing regulations to remove bottlenecks.”
Another recent piece of EU research, the Aquafeed Study, is similarly direct: “Insect production contributes to the EU’s circular economy goals by valorizing organic waste streams. However, regulatory restrictions on permitted substrates limit the full realization of this potential.”
Together, these three documents – the Protein Action Plan and the two studies – provide the scientific, economic and political foundation for expanding the use of insect proteins as ‘permitted substrates’.
Feed Circularity Catalogue
Additionally, insect farming faces a practical feedstock issue. Insects can be reared on a variety of organic residual streams, transforming low-value byproducts into high-value protein. But current feedstock rules under the Animal By-Products (ABP) Regulation limit this potential.
This is being addressed by a parallel industry-led effort. The EU Feed Circularity Catalogue – developed by the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC), FEDIAF, IPIFF and five other European industry federations – proposes concrete regulatory adjustments to enable the greater use of organic residual streams in animal feed without compromising safety or traceability.
The catalogue’s proposals to relax feedstock restrictions, harmonize end-of-waste criteria and create a biomass value hierarchy will allow insect producers to scale up using circular inputs. This will close nutrient loops and strengthen the sector’s sustainability credentials.
The interplay between the Protein Action Plan’s strategic recognition and the EU Feed Circularity Catalogue’s practical groundwork creates a more favorable policy environment for insect-based pet food than ever before.
As a major user of rendered and alternative proteins, the pet food sector is naturally positioned to absorb insect protein as production is ramped up. In fact, the industry’s scale provides the demand certainty that insect producers need to invest in capacity.
Gauging acceptance by pet parents
To move into the mainstream, however, insect-based pet food must work on two fronts: appealing to the humans who buy it and demonstrably benefiting the animals that eat it.
Consumers – particularly in northern and western Europe – are increasingly receptive to sustainable pet nutrition. The pet food sector has consistently positioned itself as a partner in the circular economy and a natural early adopter of novel proteins.
The nutritional case is strengthening, as shown by 2026 research from Ghent University examining attitudes toward insect-based pet diets. Combining consumer studies with controlled feeding trials in dogs and cats, it explored not only acceptance but also the physiological effects of chitin as a functional fiber.
Across different studies, a significant portion of pet owners express willingness to consider insect-based pet food, with cat owners appearing more receptive.
One survey found 62% of cat owners and 52% of dog owners were positive about insect-based pet food. Of US dog owners, around 9% already purchase insect-based dog food, 25% say they are willing to buy it and 46% “may be open” to it in the future.
The studies suggest that, while nutritional potential and lower environmental impact are well documented, acceptance by pet owners remains insufficiently understood. If this can be positively influenced, the pet sector could make a meaningful contribution to protein resilience strategy.
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