Singapore approves insects as food

Singapore's Food Agency has approved 16 species of edible insects for sale and human consumption in the country, according to a public circular dated July 8, 2024 to food traders.

Whole, fried edible insects (mealworms, buffalo worms, grasshoppers, crickets) at a street food market in Germany. Photo: Insektenwirtschaft.de/Wikipedia

The Food Agency of Singapore will allow the import of insects and insect products belonging to species that have been assessed to be of "low concern".

Insects approved by the Food Agency of Singapore include grasshoppers, mealworms and several species of beetles.

Insects cannot be harvested from the wild, but raised in regulated spaces.

Insects that are not on the approved list will need to be assessed to ensure that they can be used for human consumption.

Some studies have declared over 2100 species of insects as edible.

Live insects are commonly sold in Singapore as pet food such as songbirds and reptiles.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Australia’s giant lizards help save sheep from being eaten alive

Giant lizards called heath goannas could save Australian sheep farmers millions of dollars a year by keeping blowfly numbers down - and must be prioritised in conservation schemes to boost native wildlife, say researchers.

Wildfire smoke is reaching almost all lakes in North America

Wildfire smoke, sometimes drifting across hundreds of miles, reached almost every lake in North America at least one day each year from 2019 to 2021.

Seasonal shifts: Phenology events at the bottom of the world

Climate change has affected more than the planet's temperature. As climate change has become more influential, seasonal event timing has fluctuated.

A deeper look into where the really big one could occur

For the first time, researchers revealed a detailed look at the potential for a major earthquake off the coasts of southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California.

Rainforest wildlife under threat as below-canopy temperatures rise

Assumptions that tropical forest canopies protect from the effects of climate change are unfounded, say researchers.

Bookfest 2024, Bucharest, Romania

This year's edition of the Bookfest 2024, International Book Fair, will take place between May 29 and June 2 at the Romexpo exhibition pavilion in Bucharest, Romania.