The culinary preparations for the Easter of the Resurrection of the Lord and the convivial cooking time brought me to culinary reflection, which, however, is not entirely free of politics.
As we all know, the European Union has allowed the use of cricket flour in the production of bread, biscuits and pizza. The permission was included in Regulation 2023/5 of 3 January. It allows the marketing of foods containing house cricket powder in EU countries. The regulations came into effect on January 24, and only one company, which is from Vietnam, was cleared by EU officials.
The new rules have aroused my reluctance from the start. Firstly, after a series of scandals involving different Brussels officials, different institutions and levels, I have a hunch that one day we will get to know the backstage of this cricket flour delight and it might turn out that someone gave and someone hugged a few round amounts, because we have so much hype because of just one company. There is also a strong lobby to weaken traditional agriculture and food.
Secondly, the thought of eating products with the addition of crickets causes deep disgust in me. Somehow I don’t get the arguments that it is a source of healthy protein, that you should be open to new things and that you should change your culinary habits. I just don’t feel like eating cricket powder and that’s it! And as a consumer I want a choice. If someone likes it, let them eat it. And here comes a problem with the labeling of such products.
EU regulations specify how to label products containing the ingredients in question. According to them, products containing “cricket meal” must contain such information on the label and information that the ingredient may cause allergic reactions in consumers who have been diagnosed with an allergy to crustaceans, molluscs, products derived therefrom and to house dust mites. This information is placed close to the ingredients list of the food. Well, there’s a problem here. Because it means that the information will be microprinted and secondly, to make it more difficult, the name Acheta Domesticus will be on the packaging. And so it goes.
That’s why I admit I was relieved when it emerged that the Italian government had passed a bill banning food grown in labs. Heavy penalties are provided for those who produce or sell it. Everything to protect the original Italian food. But that’s not all: Italy’s Agriculture Minister announced that the government has signed four decrees regulating the issue of flour derived from insects such as crickets. Regulations specify that labels must clearly indicate to the consumer that the meal contains ground insects. The idea in Poland was quickly picked up by the politicians of Solidarna Polska.
The ANTYPROBAKOWA Act, developed by Solidarna Polska, provides for clear information on the packaging whether a certain product contains the so-called EU worm additives. Poles should have the right to consciously decide whether to eat worm food or eat healthy, traditional Polish food!
– we read on the social media of politicians of this party.
I hope that such a project will come into effect and that products containing cricket flour will be marked with a visible symbol of this insect. If someone likes it, let them eat it. I will thank you.
And taking this opportunity, I wish our readers and viewers a deep Easter experience.
Source: wPolityce