Will the EU force us to eat worms? Does not have to. We’re already doing it. These products contain them [LISTA]

The European Union and the opposition will force you to eat worms? Conservative politicians have been running this narrative for several weeks now. We have already written about the fact that this is not true many times, but this time we would like to point out that worms are a component of many products that we use every day, although we are not even aware of it.

The European Union will force us to eat worms?

In January, it approved the marketing of two new insect foods – alphitobius diaperinus beetle larvae in dried, paste or powder form, and defatted house cricket powder. The former are already used to make, for example, burgers or bars, whose producers pay attention to the very high content of protein, iron or “good” fat. Crickets are eaten whole, such as roasted, and also in the form of a meal that can be added to pasta, cookies and other products to increase the protein content.

However, the pysznosci.pl portal reminds you that it has long allowed the presence of prepared bodies of insects and other animals in food products, which are in the form of popular preservatives. They are present in almost every food product and it is thanks to them that it is possible to extend the shelf life of a given product and prevent spoilage.

Worms in food. Which products contain them?

In the tables of nutrients, preservatives are marked with the letter E. The key to detecting whether a given product contains worms, however, is what follows this letter. prepared a list of codes that mean that the product may contain worms.

• E904 – this is how a very popular variety of resin – shellac is marked. It is used in the food industry for the production of sweets or for glazing vegetables and fruits. Shellac is made from bugs, which are bugs that live on trees. It can be found in coffee beans and confectionery.
• E121 – is a preservative added to strawberry, raspberry or wild strawberry flavored products (e.g. yoghurts). This is a variety of cochineal, which is made from cactus bugs, i.e. insects from the order of bugs.
• E120 – is also a popular cochineal. This genus is also formed from the dissected bodies of cactus maggots. The difference is that this is how cochineal used in drinks and sweets of red color is marked.

Let us emphasize, however, that just like in the case of allowing the aforementioned products to enter the European market, no one is forcing anyone to eat them.

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