Italy bans insect flour from its pasta despite the Eco Buzz.
The growing use in cooking of flour made from crickets, locusts and insect larvae has met fierce opposition in Italy, where the government is to ban its use in pizza and pasta and segregate it on supermarket shelves.
In a sign of fear that insects might be associated with Italian cuisine, three government ministers called a press conference in Rome to announce four decrees aimed at a crackdown. “It’s fundamental that these flours are not confused with food made in Italy,” Francesco Lollobrigida, the agriculture minister, said.
All four insects cited (crickets, locusts, darkling beetle larva, and Mealworm larvae) in the Italian decrees, which will require any products containing them to be labelled with large lettering and displayed separately from other foods.
“Whoever wants to eat these products can, but those who don’t, and I imagine that will be most Italians, will be able to choose,” Lollobrigida said.
Orazio Schillaci, the health minister, said the legislation would also ban the use of insect flours in “typical” Italian products like pizza and pasta.
In a further attempt to promote Italian food, the government announced on Thursday that it would propose the inclusion of Italy’s cuisine on Unesco’s world heritage list.