3. Regulatory aspects of the use of insects in human nutrition

3.1 European legislation

Whole edible insects and their derived ingredients can be legally placed on the EU market, but require prior authorization. Marketing authorization is granted following submission of an application to the European Commission (EC), safety assessment of the novel food by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and a positive vote by EU member states. Edible insects are governed by the new European legislation on novel foods, Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, which applies from 1 ^er January 2018