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Deputies adopted a draft law on Wednesday regulating the production and marketing of food products with insect flour, following the authorisation of their introduction on the market as novel food, originating from the European Union, which requires economic operators to provide consumers with clear and complete information on food products containing such flour.
There were 170 votes in favour, two votes against and 41 abstentions.
The draft legal act had previously received adoption reports from members of the Committee for industries and Services and the Committee for Agriculture, Forestry, Food Industry and Specific Services.
"It is forbidden for economic operators to use, on the territory of Romania, newly authorised novel foods in the preparation/production of food products listed in the National Register of Traditional Products and the National Register of Romanian consecrated recipes," an amendment states.
The legal names or the current descriptive names shall be used in the labelling of the food products, and they must contain one of the phrases "with...", "from...", followed by the name of the newly authorised novel foods, regardless of its percentage in the finished product, provides another amendment.
The labels of food products containing novel foods, i.e. Alphitobius diaperinus larvae in frozen, paste (ground), dried, and powder and/or partially defatted powder obtained from whole Acheta domesticus (house cricket) and/or Locusta migratoria (migratory locust) in frozen, dried and powder forms, whole, and/or Tenebrio molitor larvae (yellow mealworm) in frozen, dried and powder form, must contain an indication on the label that this ingredient may cause allergic reactions in consumers with known allergies to crustaceans and crustacean products as well as mites. This indication must appear in close proximity to the list of ingredients, according to the draft legal act.
In addition, food products that are/ contain insect species authorised to be placed on the market as novel foods from within the European Union shall be displayed in the traditional direct sales areas in a separate stand, separated from stands containing established foods that are/ do not contain insect species authorised to be placed on the market as novel foods.
If finished foods/meals supplied by mass caterers are offered for sale in several different places within the same establishment, this information is presented to the consumer at each of these places, the draft law also states.
The Chamber of Deputies is the decision-making body for this draft law.
