Qatar bans eating insects after EU expands menu for protein

Doha, Qatar:

Qatar has reaffirmed a religious ban on consuming insects in a move that comes after the European Union added the new products to its list of approved foods.

Qatar’s health ministry said in a statement late Thursday that the insect products do not meet “the requirements of the Halal Food Technical Regulations”.

Gulf Cooperation Council regulations “and the religious opinion of the competent authorities” ban the consumption of “insects, or proteins and supplements extracted from them”.

Qatar said the announcement followed “the decision of some countries to approve the use of insects in food production”.

It did not identify the countries, but the EU Commission last month approved a product containing larvae of the lesser mealworm – a species of beetle – and domesticated crickets for use in food.

Insects have long been a source of protein in communities around the world, but consumption has spread due to increased pressure to find alternatives to meat and other foods linked to high levels of greenhouse gases.

The European Union has now approved four insects as “novel food”.

All products containing insects must be clearly labeled.

Academics point out that there is no clear command in Islamic law on whether insects can be eaten or not.

Most say that locusts are halal, or permitted, as mentioned in the Quran.

But many Islamic law scholars reject other insects because they are considered impure.

Qatar said the food’s compliance with halal regulations was checked “by Islamic bodies accredited by the ministry and through its internationally recognized laboratories” that determine the source of proteins contained in food products.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)