The larvae of the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) frozen, in paste, dried, and powder forms can be marketed in the EU as a new food from 26th January 2023.
It is the effect of a regulation proposed by the European Commission and approved by the Member States, published on 5th January 2023. With the larvae of the lesser mealworm, the insects and their derivatives have received the go-ahead as new food from the European Union after the larvae of the Tenebrio molitor, locusts and crickets.
