Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)
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888. To ask the Minister for Health in light of the EU recently passing the EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/89 authorising the placing on the market of UV-treated powder of whole Tenebrio molitor larvae (yellow mealworm), if she will consider amending Irish food safety law to ensure that we do not lower our standards and allow this into our food supply or, at a minimum, that products that include any insect products be labelled and marked, allowing consumers to make an informed and clear choice about what they are purchasing and consuming. [16697/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Food safety policy is a priority for my Department, and this is informed by scientific advice from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

UV-treated powder of whole Tenebrio molitor larvae (yellow mealworm) has been authorised as a novel food in the EU.

In the EU, the Novel Food Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 is a consumer protection safeguard to ensure that new innovative foods are only placed on the market if they are safe. Novel foods are foods which have not been consumed to a significant extent in the EU before May 1997. They can be newly developed, innovative food, food produced using new technologies and production processes, as well as food which is, or has been traditionally eaten outside of the EU. The basis of the novel food legislation is that novel foods must be safe for consumers, and they must be properly labelled. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carries out the safety assessments on novel foods based on information submitted by applicants.

EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers sets out the requirements for food labelling with particular regard to health, economic, environmental, social and ethical considerations. Article 7 of this Regulation requires that food information shall not be misleading, while Article 9 provides that a list of ingredients is a mandatory requirement. This Regulation ensures that consumers are fully informed when choosing the food that they buy and consume.

I am satisfied that the EU only approves a novel food if, on the basis of the available scientific evidence, the components of the novel food, and the conditions of its use does not pose a safety risk to human health.