Italy Officially Serves Up Insects for The First Time

The Belgium Pavilion at Expo Milano focused in on the food of the future this week with a serving of dishes that including edible insects. A move that was only possible thanks to a special proxy granted to the Expo organisation allowing them to serve insect based products officially for the first time ever in Italy.

Insects have been touted as a perfect protein to feed the planet and its growing population in the future and to highlight this a number of experts and press met for the tasting organised by the Società Umanitaria.

Alongside talks from Paul Vantomme of FAO and Frederic Francis from the University of Liege, the guests sampled pasta made with flour produced with mealworms. There was also sauces produced with carrot and tomato with mealworm for added protein.

“Our goal is to leave a livable planet for future generations thanks to the introduction of industrial food productions that are highly sustainable such as edible insects”, explained Andrea Mascaretti, head of the Edible Insects Project and Amos Nannini, president of the Società Umanitaria.

Belgium helped to set standard in the EU in 2014 when the Federal Food Safety Agency approved a list of 10 insects that are safe for human consumption. The country is also home to Green Kow - Europe's first company to offer food products containing mealworms. 

There is also a space within the Expo’s Future Food District to exhibit over 1000 different edible insect based food products.

Watch these people try foods made with insects.