Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

3.4.2023

All food placed on the EU market has to comply with the labelling requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011[1] (the FIC Regulation).

This regulation provides the basis for the assurance of a high level of consumer protection in relation to food information and lays down the means to guarantee the right of consumers to information.

The FIC Regulation requires the mandatory indication of all ingredients on pre-packed food and provides that mandatory food information shall be marked in a conspicuous place in such a way as to be easily visible, clearly legible and, where appropriate, indelible.

The FIC Regulation establishes that the name of the food shall be its legal name. In the absence of such a name, the name of the food shall be its customary name, or, if there is no customary name or the customary name is not used, a descriptive name of the food shall be provided.

In the case of food containing insects, the name of the insect to be indicated, as specified in the relevant authorising Commission Implementing Regulations, is the scientific name followed by the common name in brackets.

This name must be included in the list of ingredients. In addition, a statement, in close proximity to the list of ingredients, shall indicate that this ingredient may cause allergic reactions.

The Commission is not currently considering additional labelling requirements for foods containing insects, in view of the fact that the existing legal framework ensures that consumers are informed about the content of the food.

• [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32011R1169