Global differences in insect regulation: the background and the impacts

2017

Lähteenmäki-Uutela, A M

Hénault-Ethier, L

Marimuthu, S B

Nemane, V V

Editor(s): EAAP Scientific Committee

Conference Publication

en

Publication

Wageningen Academic Publishers

Wageningen, The Netherlands

une:1959.11/75031

There are global differences in how insects are regulated as food and feed. We compare the regulations of four firsttier developed countries that have a relatively organized regulatory architecture for developing insect regulation and where market potential is large: the EU, United States, Canada and Australia. Our study focuses on (1) the system-level and historical background for differences in regulation and (2) the impacts of the regulatory differences for insect business operators. Legal systems vary in how risks are perceived and how the precautionary principle is applied in practice. There are differences in how fast the regulatory system can respond to new phenomena such as novel food and feed ingredients. Although the cultural tradition of insect use is an important factor explaining the general attitudes towards insects, there are genuine differences in how the ethical issues are argued and perceived. Private regulation and industry standards have a role in complementing mandatory laws, in some countries more so than in others. Regulation impacts product development strategies of marketers: the pay-back time for R&D investment depends partly on the regulatory requirements and on how fast a product can access the market. The article aims to explore if the insect business would benefit from clear, harmonised and predictable rules by comparing the regulation of insect food and feed in the abovementioned jurisdictions. It examines whether global harmonisation of rules would make international marketing strategies easier or whether tailor-made rules and protectionist practices could be the preferred option, so as to assist local marketers.

link

Book of Abstracts of the 68th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science, v.23, p. 410-410

9789086863129

9789086868599

410

410