On the Internet – panic again about crickets in food: are they really difficult to avoid?

Got tips on how to avoid it

The news of insect powder in food has been shared by at least a few Facebook users in recent weeks. They shared a screenshot with a list of products that this product can be added to.

“WORM FLOUR in products”, succinctly, but concretely was horrified one woman added various icons of insects, beetles and even reptiles to enhance the impression.

In social networks, there are scares again because of cricket powder in food

Another netizen not only commented with the same drawings, but also shared tipshow to act in the face of such an innovation: “There are already five factories in Lithuania that process insects and add them to flour dishes.

Advice? You buy Italian pasta.

Bread – at those who bake from real flour, or maybe Latvian black organic bread in the supermarket.

You buy real flour (you’ll have to look for it), and you make cookies (even pasta or bread) yourself.

Everything else is not necessary to buy. And unpurchased products will disappear by themselves.”

Also read: KTU researcher on the controversial use of crickets: it is inevitable in the future

The two women shared a website infa.lt text, published back in early January last year, screenshot. It was then quoted as having just been accepted EC regulationwhich “allows the placing on the market of pet crickets Acheta domestica defatted powder as a new food product’.

“Avoiding the use of these powders will also be extremely difficult and due to their mass use in many products we are used to,” explained the text, a screenshot of which is being circulated again.

Below is a short list of the various products that can be used to add cricket powder. It includes various baked goods and their mixes, bars, pasta, sauces, vegetable dishes, meat semi-finished products and substitutes, chocolate confectionery, etc.

Recommended food

Both past and current comments on the Internet surrounding the approval of cricket powder for food production are misleading.

Also read: Unusual climate aid gave birth to a lie; no, children will not have to eat insects

The aforementioned regulation does not legalize the use of domestic cricket powder for food production in general, but does not indicate that it must be added at least to the aforementioned products.

The document is intended only for one third country company – Vietnam „Cricket One Co. Ltd“, which still in 2019 applied to the EC for a permit to supply pet crickets to the EU in the summer Acheta domestica defatted powder as a new food product.

This company is the only one that will be able to supply cricket powder made according to the mentioned technology for 5 years.

Also read: They gave fodder to conspiracy seekers: they allowed crickets to be fed, but they are not required for food

But even in Europe, insects as a food product is not newsfor this purpose they are cultivated and in Lithuania.

Insects are considered a good source of fat, protein and certain important vitamins. The United Nations promotes the use of insects, noting their environmental benefits as a food source.

Also read: There was an uproar about bugs in pickles, but we’ve been eating them like paint for a long time

Among other things, insects emit far less greenhouse gases than domestic animals.

Businessman Donatas Glušauskas, who founded a cricket farm near Kaunas with his brother a year ago, when outrage boiled over over the permission to use their powder in food products, the portal 15min said that he had received a number of letters with similar criticism.

“80 percent those who wrote are dissatisfied with the new world order, chemtrails and similar things, – he said then. – We breed crickets not because Klaus Schwab (founder of the Davos Economic Forum, hero of more than one conspiracy theory – ed.) told us.

Also read: The Glušauska brothers, who created a unique business in Lithuania: “This is the food of the future. Do you dare to taste it?”

It is an alternative to some products, a healthy food. Wherever you like, put it everywhere and use it.”

Fits the conspiracy theory

Dissatisfaction with this unusual food was also noticed in Russia. However, if there is anger in Lithuania that the government will force you to eat insects and worms, propaganda has adapted this narrative to the realities of war. Even on television, it was said that the Europeans who imposed sanctions on Russia are suffering, so they are forced to eat insects.

This narrative has been spread in various European countries recently wrote Danish fact-checking portal Tjekdet.

Also read: Repercussions of the cricket scandal in Russia: and propaganda has stumbled upon unusual food

The Danes also pointed out that falsehoods about insects are related to the conspiracy theory that became popular during the pandemic, that a certain group of people wants to take over humanity – to introduce a “new world order”.

Also read: A collection of conspiracy theories: COVID-19 was invented because of 5G connectivity and to take over the world

D. Glušauskas assured that nowhere is it indicated that cricket powder must be added to all food products.

“It would be possible to start business from zero! – having previously spoken to 15min he laughed. – That would be good news from our perspective. But that won’t happen, it doesn’t sound logical. There is no purpose to put them and hide them, because there is a high cost, the price would increase.”

“Acheta” photo/Donatas Glušauskas

15min verdict: missing context. It is not true that dried insect powder is added to all food products. The EU allows them to be added to certain products, but it is not mandatory.

The publication was prepared in 15 minutes in partnership with Metait aims to stop the spread of misleading news on the social network. More about the program and its rules – here.