GRUB’S UP

EU Says It’s Totally Fine to Put Ground Up Worms in Pasta Now

The European Commission confirmed Tuesday that dried yellow mealworms are now deemed safe for human consumption.

The European Union has officially given the thumbs-up to eating worms. According to Bloomberg News, the European Commission confirmed Tuesday that dried yellow mealworms are safe for human consumption and will soon be allowed to be added to menus in the bloc’s 27 nations. The commission wrote on its website that there’s no reason why European gastronomists should be stopped from eating the worms, writing: “It is up to consumers to decide whether they want to eat insects or not.” However, it conceded that insect-eating remains a “very small niche market.” In a paper published earlier this year, the European Food Safety Authority recommended eating the worms as a “whole, dried insect” or in the form of a powder that can be added to “energy bars, pasta, and biscuits.” The commission said rearing the worms is kinder to the environment than other animal proteins due to relatively lower greenhouse-gas emissions, and more sustainable use of water and farm lands.