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The Deputy Agriculture Minister of Poland has expressed his disapproval of the European Union’s latest endorsement of two species of bugs to be consumed as food. He accused the EU of attempting to undermine the dietary practices of the West.
In January, the European Union gave the nod to house crickets and lesser mealworm larvae for human consumption in the form of powder and other dried goods, as part of an effort to reduce the environmental footprint of animal agriculture.
Insects, which are a popular food choice in many parts of the world, are rich in protein and require much less land and water than meat to produce.
Krzysztof Cieciora, a deputy agriculture minister, proclaimed on Friday in an interview with the state-owned Radio Lodz that the discussion on the introduction of insects as food items in the EU is the commencement of a “food war”.
“They are trying to change trends,” he went on to say.
“I believe the debate is still ahead,” he said, adding that he expected an aggressive campaign promoting the consumption of insects and insect-based products.
He declared that the reconsideration of dietary norms in the Western world is becoming a matter of great importance.
“Of course, we don’t agree to these alternatives,” he said. “We don’t agree for someone to tell us what and how much we should eat.”
Cieciora declared the Polish cabinet’s opposition to insect consumption and asserted that the government “will safeguard traditional dietary values and the liberty of choice.”
Poland would not ban food products made from insects, he added, but such products must be clearly labelled.
The UN has declared that the meat and dairy industry is accountable for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The EU has consequently implemented regulations requiring labelling.