It’s the other Grubhub.
Singapore’s state food agency redefined “mealworms” after approving a whopping 16 species of insects for human consumption, ranging from grasshoppers to beetle grubs.
“With immediate effect, SFA (the Singapore Food Agency) will allow the import of insects and insect products belonging to species that have been assessed to be of low regulatory concern,” the agency announced in a press release, CNN reported.
Per the policy, people will be able to import the following creepy crawlies for both human food and animal feed:
- Western honey bee/European honey bee
- Silkworm/silk moth
- Lesser wax moth
- Honeycomb moth/greater wax moth
- Giant Rhino beetle grub
- Whitegrub
- Mealworm
- Lesser mealworm
- Superworm beetles/giant mealworm beetle/king mealworm
- Grasshopper
- American desert locust/desert locust
- African migratory locust
- Black/field cricket/two-spotted cricket
- Common/field cricket
- Banded cricket
- House cricket
The only caveats are that the bugs could not be “harvested from the wild,” while vendors would need to present documentary proof “that insects are farmed in premises regulated by the Competent Authority,” per the SFA.
This policy is similar to US laws stipulating that only ranched or farm-raised game meat is permitted to be served at game restaurants (no hunted animals allowed).
In addition, any insects not on the list would need to be vetted to ensure that they’re safe for human consumption.
Allowable bug-based imports, meanwhile, include insect oil, uncooked pasta inflected with insect parts, chocolate and other sweets comprised of no more than 20% insect parts, as well as salted, brined, smoked and dried bee larva, marinated beetle grub, and silkworm pupa, the Guardian reported.
“As the insect industry is nascent and insects are a new food item here, SFA has developed an insect regulatory framework which puts in place guidelines for insects to be approved as food,” SFA said.
It appears as if local restaurants are already jumping at the opportunity to serve some hakuna frittatas.
Singaporean restaurant chain House of Seafood is preparing to serve 30 insect-centric offerings ranging from silkworm sushi to worm meatballs, evoking what one might get if Bear Grylls helmed a four-star restaurant.
Local insect protein purveyor InsectYumz also plans to offer a smorgasbord of entomological edibles, including tom yum crickets and mealworms.
This is not just some “Temple Of Doom”-esque gimmick, either. Experts view entomophagy — bug consumption — as increasingly crucial amid rising environmental concerns.
For one, many bugs are both sustainable and nutritious with research showing that crickets pack more protein per pound than beef and require at least six times less feed, the Atlantic reported.
While crunching creepy crawlies might seem offputting, the practice is commonplace in countries from Mexico to China — although the US still seems to have an aversion to grabbing some grub.
