Food of the future? EU nations put mealworms on the menu

Dried yellow mealworms could soon be hitting supermarket shelves and restaurants across Europe

BRUSSELS -- Dried yellow mealworms could soon be hitting supermarket shelves and restaurants across Europe. The European Union's 27 nations gave the greenlight Tuesday to a proposal to put the Tenebrio molitor beetle's larvae on the market as a “novel food.” The move came after the EU's food safety agency published a scientific opinion this year that concluded worms were safe to eat. Researchers said the worms, either eaten whole or in powdered form, are a protein-rich snack or an ingredient for other foods. Allergic reactions may occur for people with pre-existing allergies to crustaceans and dust mites, the Commission said.