The ADN party through its candidate, veterinarian Carolina Martins, warned today about the introduction of larvae powder in food, which was approved by the European Commission, on Monday, the 17th of February, and confirmed that it is already being used in Portuguese flour.
“There are several questions that need clear and clear answers, to ensure that all consumers are fully informed about the risks and implications of this new ingredient, even those who do not care about their presence in the products they buy,” warns Carolina Martins in a statement.
The ADN party, therefore, requires clarification on how ‘maggot dust in human food can be identified?’ Arguing that consumers have the right to know what’s actually in their food. However, she did concede that larvae powder is processed through UV radiation, but asked “is this method safe for human consumption.” She also queries the production and feeding of larvae asking people to remember that these organisms are capable of digesting polystyrene.
The ADN also warns of the nutritional effects of consuming these proteins, arguing that it “can lead to an overdose of vitamin D3 (symptoms include stomach distress, unusual mental health issues, and kidney problems), and that in-depth studies are needed to assess the impacts of this ‘additive’ on the human body.
Carolina Martins further highlights that “larval proteins are potentially allergenic and may pose a risk to people with hypersensitivity to crustaceans and mites. They are also at risk of being contaminated by harmful substances, such as “heavy metals, mycotoxins, and dioxins, substances that accumulate in the body and increase the risk of serious diseases, such as liver cancer and kidney failure.
DNA thus repudiates how this food enhancer will be introduced, “without due transparency and scientific proof of security,” stressing that “public health cannot be treated lightly.”
Would this account for the fact that you can open some bags of flour and find hundreds of minute beige mites running about?
Samantha Gannon
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