Qatar confirmed its ban on insect products in food after the European Union added two new products to its approved list.
The Ministry of Health said in a statement late on Thursday that the insect products did not meet the “requirements of the Technical Regulations for Halal Food”.
He added that the regulations of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the “religious opinion” of the competent authorities “prohibit the consumption of insects or the proteins and supplements obtained from them”.
Qatar said its decision followed “the decision of some countries to approve the use of insects in food production”.
The announcement did not name the countries, but the announcement came a week after the European Union Commission approved small worm larvae and house crickets for food use.
Insects have long been a source of protein, but consumption has soared as pressure mounts to find alternatives to meat and other foods that emit high levels of greenhouse gases.
In the past two years, the European Union has approved four insects as food, requiring clear labeling of all products containing insects.
Experts say there is no clear rule in Islamic law about whether insects can be eaten.
Most of them believe that eating locusts is “halal” as stated in the Quran. But many Islamic scholars reject other insects as unclean.
Source: EuroNews
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