Atar has reaffirmed a religious ban on eating insects following the addition of additional foods to the European Union’s list of authorized foods.
Insect products do not meet “the requirements of halal food technical regulations,” the health ministry of Qatar warned late Thursday in a statement.
It noted that Gulf Cooperation Council regulations “and the religious opinion of the competent authorities” prohibit “the consumption of insects or insect-derived protein and supplements.”
The statement follows “the decision of some countries to approve the use of insects in food production,” as stated by Qatar.
The EU commission approved the larvae of the lesser mealworm — a species of beetle — and a product including the house cricket for use in food last month, without naming the countries.
Insects have always been a source of nutrition in cultures across the globe, but their consumption has increased as demand grows for alternatives to meat and other foods linked with significant greenhouse gas emissions.
All insect-containing items must be distinctly labeled.
According to academics, there is no definite judgment in Islamic law regarding the consumption of insects.
According to the majority, locusts are halal, or permitted, because they are referenced in the Quran.
However, many scholars of Islamic law dismiss other insects as unclean.
The source of protein in food products is determined by “Islamic bodies accredited by the ministry and its internationally-accredited laboratories” in Qatar, according to the country’s statement.
»Qatar prohibits bug food after the EU widens its offer«