Day: February 5, 2025

UV-treated mealworm powder can be added to bread, cheese, pasta, and other food products under new regulation

The European Commission has approved a new food ingredient made from dried and ground mealworm larvae, the young form of beetles. The larvae will be treated with ultraviolet (UV) light, a process similar to how sunlight helps human skin produce vitamin D.

The approval is part of the EU’s plan to introduce more sustainable protein sources and allows up to 4% of the insect-based powder in products such as bread, cheese, pasta, and jams. The regulation takes effect on February 10.

The decision follows a scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which found that UV-treated mealworm powder is safe at approved levels. EFSA noted that while UV treatment enhances vitamin D3 content, it does not significantly contribute to dietary intake.

However, the agency warned that some people, including those with allergies to shellfish or dust mites, could experience reactions to mealworm proteins and suggested more research in this area.

NEW – From 10 February, an EU regulation allows up to 4% of UV-treated insect powder to be contained in food products such as bread, cheese, jams, or pasta. pic.twitter.com/FuSNL9McxT

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 4, 2025

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕋𝕧

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 Trump says US will “take over” Gaza: President Donald Trump said that the US “will take over” Gaza and that he won’t rule out sending US troops to secure American ownership. 

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich commended a plan presented by United States President Donald Trump to remove Palestinians from Gaza and take ownership of the strip.

“We will work to permanently bury the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state,” Smotrich said in a video statement.

Smotrich had threatened to leave Israeli Prime Minister’s Benjamin Netanyahu’s government after a ceasefire deal was agreed with Hamas last month. Instead, he remained in government after receiving what he said were assurances that Israel will return to war in Gaza.

“I made this decision based on intimate knowledge of the behind-the-scenes actions in recent months and on my partnership in shaping our plans for continuing the campaign on all fronts. And believe me—this is just the beginning,” he said.

The minister, a settler himself, leads Religious Zionism, a far-right party pushing for Jewish settlement in Gaza.

“The plan presented yesterday by President Trump is the true response to October 7. Those who carried out the most horrific massacre on our land will find themselves losing their land forever,” he said.

Update:

Russia has rejected US President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over Gaza.” A two-state solution is the only way to settle the Middle East conflict, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has reiterated.

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