The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced last week that it has received interest from insect food products or agricultural companies inquiring about using insects as food or animal feed.
A media release said several types of edible insects have been traditionally eaten in parts of Asia, such as crickets in Thailand and silkworm pupae in Korea.
Approval for certain insect species
“SFA conducted a thorough scientific review and found that certain insect species historically consumed by humans can be used as food. In recent years, commercial breeding of insects for human consumption and animal feed has been promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and has attracted commercial interest.
“SFA has appealed from the European Union and countries like Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Thailand that have allowed certain insect species to be eaten.”
ARE INSECTS A SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL FOOD PROTEIN?
Insects are considered an alternative with high potential because the production of insects requires limited amounts of water and land and they can add value to low-value by-products. Find out about the latest developments in the industry
safety precautions in place
The agency plans to introduce a number of safety precautions and requirements for companies that intend to breed or import insects for food consumption. This includes companies that must provide documentary evidence that the insects they import are grown in regulated facilities with food safety controls and ensure that the substrate used for growing or feeding insects is uncontaminated.
Farmers wishing to use species not previously consumed by humans must meet the novel food criteria and submit safety assessments to the SFA for review before a sale can take place. Insect products would also undergo food safety testing.
The proposals are part of the public consultation, which runs until December 4th.
Insectta.com: Development of a superior BSF
One company likely to be particularly interested in the consultation is Insectta.com, which is the first urban insect farm in Singapore to raise black soldier flies, take food waste and feed it back into the economy as valuable biomaterials. Its BSF chitosan is manufactured for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, antimicrobial food packaging and aggrotech markets.
And its R&D team has extracted and isolated compounds found in BSF that can act as an organic semiconductor. Biodegradable, sustainable and traceable, it has the potential to be embedded in medical devices, solar energy technology and other electronic devices.
The company is also developing a superior animal feed additive made from black soldier fly that will function as both a protein and a probiotic. Probiotics in animal feed reduce feed conversion, improve gut health and immunity, thereby increasing yields.
