Vietnam granted permission to export edible insects to EU

Insects predicted to grow in popularity as food in Western world due to low environmental impact

Crickets at an insects farm in Mahasarakam province, northeast of Thailand (EPA)

Vietnam has reportedly been granted permission to export edible insects to countries in the EU.

The country’s trade office in the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg said it got the green light after providing all the necessary documents to commission responsible for the trading bloc’s health and food safety.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade, which deals with strategic policymaking in Brussels, confirmed that Vietnam had met all the requirements to ship insect food to EU countries, reported by VietReader.

The EU decision took effect from 15 February this year.

Vietnam is the fifth country to be able to ship insects after Canada, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand were also given permission.

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Edible insects are still not popular among Western consumers but nutritionists believe they could be the future of food.

One reason for this is that they are not as resource-intensive as livestock such as beef and have a lower carbon footprint.

MacKenzie Wade, a PhD student studying perceptions of edible insects at the University of California, Santa Barabara, previously told The Independent: “Insects can be raised on a fraction of the water, feed and space required by traditional livestock.

“If insects are going to truly be a sustainable food, they need to replace our meat products.

“They also need to be reasonably priced to ensure everyone can access sustainable and nutritious food, which would most likely require subsidies as the industry grows.”