Singapore Will Be Approving 16 Types of Insects For Public Consumption

For the more adventurous palates, bugs are not a problem to these people and they might even have a liking for them.

Often described as having a “nutty, earthy” taste, 16 bugs will be approved by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for public consumption soon.

Back in 2022, they sought feedback from the public and received 53 responses.

Speaking to The Straits Times, SFA said that they will be approving a list of 16 bugs in the second half of 2023 for human consumption. The list is as follows.

Prior to selling these insects, manufacturers will need to make sure to abide by a certain set of guidelines set by the SFA. This is to make sure that they are safe for consumption.

This move of allowing bugs to be eaten is in line with United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)‘s views which promotes insect farming for human consumption and animal feed.

The FAO says that insects are full of nutrients that are good for us and they require fewer feeds than regular livestock. The bugs also emit fewer greenhouse gases, so with these factors in mind, it does seem that bugs are more sustainable than conventional livestock.

Now, bugs aren’t all that yucky and we’ve actually had the chance to have some before. All we can say is, crickets are quite yummy.

Also read: Cockroach Species Discovered in 2016 At Forest Reserve In SG Gets Named After A Pokémon