Qatar, a Muslim-majority Gulf country, reaffirmed on Thursday night the religious ban on consuming insects, after the European Union added new products containing them to its list of authorized foods in early January.
The insect-based products do not meet “the requirements of the technical standards for halal food” authorized for Muslims, the Qatari Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The regulations of the Gulf Cooperation Council “and the religious advice of the relevant authorities” prohibit “the consumption of insects or proteins and supplements extracted from them,” the ministry added.
“New Foods”
According to the press release, this announcement follows “the decision of some countries to approve the use of insects in food production.”
The ministry did not name the countries in question, but the European Commission approved in January the use of mealworm larvae, also known as mealworms, and a product containing domestic lobster in food.
The EU has now approved four insects as “novel foods”. All products containing insects must be clearly labelled.
Mentioned in the Qur’an
Insects have long been an inexpensive source of protein for some communities around the world, and their consumption has expanded due to increasing pressure to find alternatives to meat and other foods associated with high levels of greenhouse gases.
Islam does not clearly forbid eating insects, according to Muslim theologians. Most believe that locusts are halal or permitted, as mentioned in the Qur’an, but many Muslim theologians reject other insects as unclean.
The Ministry of Health clarified in its press release that “compliance with halal food standards was verified by Islamic bodies accredited by the ministry and by its internationally accredited laboratories.”
Source: BFM TV
