On September 20, 2017, the Finnish Agriculture Ministry opened the doors for the cultivation and selling of insects as food products. They stated that they will ensure that “the final products are safe for consumers” and that “Evira will provide instructions for producers and regulators.”
Researchers from the University of Turku of Finland first started researching about edible insects in the country. Though not a widely known topic, they believed that insects would be the perfect answer in case of a mass food crisis. Their research has finally brought the country to the world of edible insects.
Even before the 20th of September, people have shown interest in the consumption of insects. In November of every year, a start-up festival is held in Helsinki, Finland. For the past few festivals, there has been a growing trend of utilizing insects as food - more start ups with edible insect cookies and meatballs.
The future looks bright for the new food business in Finland. According to a survey conducted by the University of Turku, one-third of the people have already eaten an insect in some form before and 50% have thoughts on eating some kind of food with insects in the near future. The most popular insects in the country are crickets and mealworms. These eco-friendly, sustainable, and high protein creatures will soon prove to be the most used ingredient in meals and possibly the most eaten snack for Finnish children.
By Soo Lee
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