Russian MP Rejects Insect-Based Foods

(MENAFN) Russian lawmaker Yulia Ogloblina, deputy head of the parliament’s agriculture committee, has declared that food products made from insects will “never” be offered to the Russian population. She argued that such practices are limited to the European Union, where she claimed farming is in decline.

In February, the European Commission authorized a new ingredient for human consumption derived from dried and ground mealworm larvae, the juvenile stage of beetles. This decision was part of the bloc’s broader initiative to promote sustainable protein sources, permitting up to 4% of insect-based powder in items such as bread, cheese, pasta, and jams.

Speaking to a news agency on Tuesday, Ogloblina insisted, “in Russia, we have never eaten and will never eat insects. Never… It’s out of the question. I’m saying this solemnly.” She emphasized that bugs are used “exclusively as feed for fish and animals.”

The MP added that Russian authorities will not alter their position on the matter, regardless of scientific studies into alternative protein sources.

Ogloblina further criticized Western Europe’s approval of insect-based foods, claiming it “only confirms that their agriculture is in shambles... It’s so bad that they are now saying: ‘We should be eating crickets, bugs and spiders.’”

She concluded by stressing Russia’s agricultural stability: “Thank God, everything is fine here. We have plenty of land. That’s why we are sticking to our real Russian food.”

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