PanamaTimes

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

Qatar Bans Insect Food After EU Expands Menu For Protein

Qatar Bans Insect Food After EU Expands Menu For Protein

Insect products do not meet "the requirements of halal food technical regulations", Qatar's health ministry said in a statement late Thursday.
Qatar has reaffirmed a religious ban on consuming insects in a move that comes after the European Union added new products to its list of approved foods.

Insect products do not meet "the requirements of halal food technical regulations", Qatar's health ministry said in a statement late Thursday.

Gulf Cooperation Council regulations "and the religious opinion of the competent authorities" bans "the consumption of insects, or protein and supplements extracted from them", it added.

The announcement follows "some countries' decision to approve the use of insects in food production", Qatar said.

It did not identify the countries, but the EU commission last month approved the larvae of the lesser mealworm -- a species of beetle -- and a product containing the house cricket for use in food.

Insects have long been a source of protein in communities around the world but consumption has spread as pressure grows to find alternatives to meat and other foods associated with high levels of greenhouse gases.

The EU has now approved four insects as "novel food".

All products containing insects must be clearly labelled.

Academics say there is no clear ruling in Islamic law on whether insects can be eaten.

Most say locusts are halal, or allowed, as they are mentioned in the Koran.

But many Islamic law scholars reject other insects as they are considered unclean.

Qatar said that food's compliance with halal rules was checked by "Islamic bodies accredited by the ministry and through its international-accredited laboratories" that determine the source of protein contained in food products.
Comments

Oh ya 2 year ago
Well at least one country has common sense. Before you start eating crickets do a little research on chitin. It is part of their exoskeleton and harmful to humans

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Brazilian Congress Rejects Lula's Proposed Tax Increase on Financial Transactions
Landslide in Bello, Colombia, Results in Multiple Casualties
Papa Johns pizza surge near the Pentagon tipped off social media before Trump's decisive Iran strike
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Sole Survivor of Air India Crash Recounts Escape
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Protests Erupt in Los Angeles with Symbolic Flag Burning
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
Builder.ai Faces Legal Scrutiny Amid Financial Misreporting Allegations
Japan Grapples with Rice Shortage Amid Soaring Prices
Goldman Sachs Reduces Risk Exposure Amid Market Volatility
HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker to Return to AIA as Non-Executive Chair
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Judge Blocks Trump's Ban on International Students at Harvard
Trump Proposes Travel Ban on 'Uncontrolled' Countries
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Eurozone Inflation Falls Below ECB Target to 1.9%
Call for a New Chapter in Globalisation Emerges
Blackstone and Rivals Diverge on Private Equity Strategy
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Escalating Trade Tensions and Market Reactions
OnlyFans Reportedly in Talks for $8 Billion Sale
JBS Gains Shareholder Approval for U.S. Stock Listing
Booz Allen Hamilton to Cut 2,500 Jobs Amid Federal Spending Reductions
Trump Signs Executive Orders to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Development
Harvard Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Ban
Nippon Steel Forms Partnership with U.S. Steel, Headquarters to Remain in Pittsburgh
Trump Expands Tariff Threats to Apple and Samsung Devices
Oracle and OpenAI Plan $40 Billion Nvidia Chip Purchase for AI Data Center
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on EU Goods, Markets React
×