Novel foods/feeds and novel frauds: The case of edible insects

Background Novel foods demand in EU is increasing, and their consumption is expected to grow in the next years. This increased use enhances the risk of misidentification and counterfeiting. Scope and approach In this review, the vulnerability to frauds of the incoming edible insect value chain was analysed. The starting point was the regulatory framework in the EU scenario, which encompasses the authorized species for food and/or feed but also the authorized feeding substrates for insects. The market scenario in which insects have been/will be introduced was also analysed. The possible safety issue related to fraud in insect market have been analysed, especially focusing on allergenic risk related to species substitution. The analytical tools currently available to assure insect/rearing substrate authentication have been also evaluated. Key findings and conclusions The key factors making the insect market vulnerable to fraud are the evolving legislative framework, the possible importation of wild/non-authorized species, the use of insect meal/powder in which insects are non-recognizable, the lack of robust and high throughput analytical method. The safety issue, due to the allergenic risk, makes of outmost importance to make steps forward on analytical tools dedicated to insect species and rearing substrates authentication.