Romania bans newly approved EU products, like insects, from traditional recipes

On Wednesday, a ban on the use of newly authorised EU foods in the preparation of traditional Romanian products was approved by the Chamber of Deputies.

The proponents of the legislation assert that the necessity to regulate insect flour for certain products stemmed from extensive discussions within Romanian society. The regulation not only seeks to safeguard traditional Romanian products but also aims to ensure accurate consumer information.

Food products containing authorised insect species must be placed in a designated area separate from stands featuring regular food items.

The initiative, led by PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu and fellow social-democratic parliamentarians, emerged in response to the EU Commission’s approval of new foods like insect meal in the European market.

According to an amendment in the proposed law, economic operators are barred from utilising newly authorised foods within Romania to produce items listed in the National Register of Traditional Products and the National Register of Sacred Recipes.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu believes that the PSD initiative serves to “protect traditional Romanian products, aligning with practices observed in other European nations.”

Since 2021, the EU has authorised selling products derived from the house cricket, the migratory locust, yellow mealworm larvae and lesser mealworm larvae, all with the same labelling requirements and health checks.

Insects as food is a controversial topic that has gained traction, mainly in the form of misinformation, in some EU countries, including Romania.

A spring survey by Avangarde revealed mixed perceptions among Romanians, with 33% believing the statement “Brussels forces us to eat insects” to be true, 50% considering it a propaganda tool against the EU, and 16% expressing uncertainty or inability to assess the statement.

(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)