Stricter regulations have entered into force, foods containing insect protein must be marked with the words "Caution! The food contains insect protein!", and they must be displayed separately from other products, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy announced on his social media page.
The minister emphasized that the government also wants to protect Hungarian consumers from foods containing insect protein approved by Brussels in the EU with strict product labeling and segregation rules. As the only member state, Hungary did not support the European Union's intention to market insects as food and food ingredients in the EU.
The European Commission is putting our gastronomic traditions and eating habits at risk, he added. That is why the Ministry of Agriculture amended the food labeling regulation in order to provide customers with accurate information. Products containing insect proteins can be clearly distinguished and separated on store shelves. Packaging devices and labels that do not comply with the regulation can be used for another three months, and products with such packaging devices or labels can be kept on the market for a maximum of another three months. István Nagy also drew attention to the fact that no fines will be imposed for 90 days due to the violation of the amended regulation.
He pointed out that it is clear from the representative surveys of the National Food Chain Safety Office that since 2016 the proportion of people abstaining from insect consumption has increased by 2.4 percent in Hungary. Those for whom it is important to buy food of Hungarian origin do not want to eat insects. In addition, Hungarian farmers always supply the Hungarian population with high-quality raw materials, fresh and high-quality food, and we do not need to fear food or protein shortages, he underlined.
He also said that the regulation does not affect additives derived from insects, which have been widely used by the food industry until now, but applies to insects as ingredients.
Source: magyarhirlap.hu
In our opening picture: Minister of Agriculture István Nagy. Photo: MH-archiv/Péter Török
