The insect lollipop is taking e-commerce by storm

Culinary oddities are opening new frontiers, commercial ones included, in the world of snacks and nibbles.

We have already told you about the rapid spread in France of grasshoppers and bamboo larvae as substitutes for the more classic bag of crisps.

The spread of entomophagy (the use of insects as food), however, seems to be taking hold in several directions, extending even into the "confectionery" sector.

It is the latest novelty when it comes to insects, but, judging by its spread across the web, it looks like a sure-fire success. We are talking about "insect" sweet snacks. In particular, caterpillars and grasshoppers covered in chocolate, replacing the more ordinary coated hazelnuts or peanuts, but above all the insect lollipop: the lolly with a scorpion, cricket or whatever else embedded inside.

Leaving aside the point of the whole exercise, everyone will be wondering what such a product could possibly taste like. Well, the numerous videos easily found on online video channels (above all we would mention JFT, junk food tester) seem to show that the product's appeal is purely conceptual. The sugary apple, strawberry and pineapple mixtures (these being the most common flavours) that encase the insect are so strong and concentrated that after a few minutes they become cloying. The insect trapped inside (usually roasted) thus turns out to be practically tasteless, masked by the sugar and flavourings that give taste to the rest.

What interests us most is that all this is happening within a regulatory framework that is still poorly defined, where international, European and national legislation still do not seem to align.
In terms of food safety, the widespread practice of entomophagy historically attested among many populations has removed almost any doubt about the risks to human health, but that makes it all the more appropriate that, faced with a gastronomic and commercial practice that is taking hold, there should be a clear and shared regulatory and disciplinary system.