UV-treated powder of whole yellow mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) authorised as a novel food: vitamin D3 35–79 µg/100 g (EN 12821, LC-DAD), chitin from the ADF–ADL difference, lead ≤ 0.02 mg/kg; EFSA — protein overestimated with the 6.25 factor
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/89, published on 21 January 2025, adds UV-treated powder of whole Tenebrio molitor larvae (yellow mealworm) to the Union list of novel foods — with an exclusive right for Nutri’Earth (France) until 10 February 2030. Authorised uses are bread and rolls, cakes and biscuits, pasta-based products, processed potato products, cheese, and fruit and vegetable purées. In its opinion of 28 March 2023 EFSA found the novel food safe but allergic reactions likely; the label must warn people allergic to crustaceans and house dust mites.
- Specification (annex): crude protein (N × 6.25) 50.0–55.0 %, fat 30.0–37.0 %, total carbohydrates 6.0–7.5 %, crude fibre 3.0–4.5 %, chitin 5.5–8.5 % (calculated as the difference between acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin, ADF–ADL, after Hahn et al. 2018), ash 3.0–4.0 %, moisture 1.4–3.5 %, peroxide value ≤ 5.0 meq O₂/kg fat, water activity < 0.6, vitamin D3 35.0–79.0 µg/100 g, manganese ≤ 11.5 and copper ≤ 16.0 mg/kg. Before drying the larvae must fast for at least 24 h to void their gut contents.
- Contaminants and microbiology (annex): lead ≤ 0.02, cadmium ≤ 0.1, mercury ≤ 0.005, arsenic ≤ 0.05 mg/kg; aflatoxin B1 ≤ 2 and sum of aflatoxins ≤ 4 µg/kg, deoxynivalenol ≤ 200, ochratoxin A ≤ 1 µg/kg; PCDD/F + PCB TEQ ≤ 0.75 pg/g fat (WHO-TEF 2005). Bacillus cereus ≤ 100, Clostridium perfringens ≤ 10, β-glucuronidase-positive E. coli ≤ 10, aerobic mesophilic bacteria ≤ 10⁵ CFU/g; Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella — not detected in 25 g.
- EFSA opinion: after a 24-hour fast the larvae are frozen (−18 °C, 5 min), blanched, dried at 70 °C to aw < 0.6, ground and irradiated with UVB. Vitamin D3 before irradiation < 10 µg/100 g, after — 59–62 µg/100 g (EN 12821:2009, LC-DAD); tachysterol 3 rose from 110–128 to 182–252 µg/100 g. On average 53.0 g crude protein/100 g with the 6.25 factor; with a factor of 4.76 (Janssen et al. 2017) — 40.4 g, because part of the nitrogen comes from chitin. The applicant provided accreditation certificates of the laboratories that performed the analyses; some methods were validated for other matrices.
- Label: the name “UV-treated powder of whole Tenebrio molitor larvae (yellow mealworm)”, a warning for people allergic to crustaceans and house dust mites, and where the final product contains a significant amount of vitamin D — the statement “contains vitamin D produced by UV treatment” and the amount of vitamin D. Maximum levels: 4.0 g/100 g in bread and cakes (≤ 3.2 µg D3/100 g), 3.5 in pasta and purées, 3.0 in potato products, 1.0 in cheese. The corrigendum of 14 April 2025 concerns only the Danish version.