Starting February 10, new regulations in Germany and across the European Union allow food products such as cheese and bread to include up to 4% powder made from yellow mealworms that have been treated with ultraviolet (UV) light.
This UV treatment enhances the vitamin D content of the powder. According to Tagesschau, this is part of an ongoing innovation in the EU, as yellow mealworms and other insects have been approved as food ingredients since May 2021.
“We know that this is a good source of protein, and edible insects also contain other important nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are also very important for us, as well as B vitamins and minerals,” said Sabine Holzapfel from the Consumer Advice Center of Baden-Württemberg. The nutrition expert emphasized that products containing mealworm powder will be clearly labeled so that “no one needs to worry about it being secretly added.”
She also noted that UV treatment is a widely recognized process in the food industry, although using it specifically to increase vitamin D levels “does not have a long-standing tradition.” The European Food Safety Authority has confirmed the safety of this process.
Currently, only one French company is producing products containing mealworm powder, so it’s unlikely these products will appear widely on supermarket shelves anytime soon.
