Publication
Processed Insects for Feeding to Wild Birds
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
1. The following information relates to any form of processed terrestrial invertebrates, including any of their transformation forms, such as larvae and derived products therefrom not for human consumption and not for feeding to farmed animals other than wild birds.
2. Consignments of terrestrial invertebrates must have been prepared exclusively from farmed insects of the following species:
i. Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
ii. Common Housefly (Musca domestica)
iii. Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor)
iv. Lesser Mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus)
v. House cricket (Acheta domesticus)
vi. Banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus)
vii. Field Cricket (Gryllus assimilis)
3. Consignments of terrestrial insects must meet the following conditions:
i. Come from an approved country
ii. Come from an approved establishment
iii. Accompanied by and conform with the requirements of an agreed animal/public health certificate
1. Consignments of processed terrestrial invertebrates may only be exported to the EU from countries listed in Part 1 of Annex II to Regulation (EU) No. 206/2010 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32010R0206 ).
2. Consignments must only contain processed animal protein that has been prepared and stored in an establishment or plant approved and supervised by the competent authority in accordance with Article 24 of regulation (EC) No.1069/2009
• Lists of approved establishments may be found here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sanco/traces/output/non_eu_listsPerActivity_en.htm
3. Consignments of terrestrial insects must have been processed by method [1]-[2]-[3]-[4]-[5]-[7] as set out in Chapter III of Annex IV of Regulation (EU) No 142/2011.
4. The substrate for the feeding of farmed insects must only contain products of non-animal origin or the following products of animal origin of Category 3 material:
- fishmeal;
- blood products from non-ruminants;
- di and tricalcium phosphate of animal origin;
- hydrolysed proteins from non-ruminants;
- hydrolysed proteins from hides and skins of ruminants;
- gelatine and collagen from non-ruminants;
- eggs and egg products;
- milk, milk based-products, milk-derived products, and colostrum;
- honey;
- rendered fats;
5. The substrate for the feeding of insects and the insects or their larvae must not have been in contact with any other materials of animal origin than those referred to in point (3) and the substrate did not contain manure, catering waste or other waste.
6. The end product must have been packed in new or sterilized bags or containers ready for sale with a total weight up to a maximum of 10 kg which bear labels indicating “NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION PROCESSED TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATES – SHALL NOT BE USED IN FEED FOR FARMED ANIMALS EXCEPT WILD BIRDS.”
7. The competent authority must have examined a random sample immediately prior to dispatch and found it to comply with the following standards:
Salmonella: Absence in 25 g: n=5. c=0, m=0, M=0
Enterobacteriaceae: n=5, c=2, m=10, M=300 in 1g;
8. Consignments containing ruminant material must meet the requirements regarding transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, i.e., BSE and Scrapie, as outlined in the health certificate.
9. Precautions must have been taken to avoid recontamination of the product with pathogenic agents after treatment and preserved in such a way that it will not spoil between dispatch and delivery to the plant of destination
10. The product must have been stored in enclosed storage.
1. Consignments of terrestrial insects must be accompanied by a health certificate based on the model certificate: Health Certificate for import into Ireland of any form of processed terrestrial invertebrates, including any of their transformation forms, such as larvae and derived products there from.
2. The certifying veterinarian should ensure that only the relevant paragraphs and, where appropriate, additional guarantees and/or special conditions applicable to the exporting country are included.
1. Consignments of animal by-products entering the EU must be inspected at an EU-approved Border Control Post (BCP) where Member States' official veterinarians ensure they fulfil all the requirements provided for in EU legislation.
2. The operator responsible for the consignment must give the BCP at the intended point of entry advance notification of the arrival of the consignment.
3. There is a required minimum pre-notification notice period of at least 24 hours’ notice in advance of the consignment’s arrival.
4. Failure to submit correct documentation within this timeline may result in significant delays in the consignment being processed through the Border Control Post.
5. Pre-notification is given by the submission of Part 1 of the Common Health Entry Document (CHED-P), as is laid down in Commission Implementing Regulation (EC) No. 2019/1715, through the online TRACES NT system.
6. Other supporting documentation associated with the consignment should be submitted at this time as well - such as the health certificate, invoice, packing list, bill etc.
1. Providing all the documentation has been submitted correctly and within the correct timeframes, a large proportion of the documentary check can be commenced in advance of the consignment’s arrival. This includes examination of the veterinary certificate and other documents accompanying a consignment.
a. Please note the original hard copy of the health certificate must travel with the consignment, this will be checked and held at the BCP at the point of entry into the EU.
2. Provided all is in order with the documentary check, the consignment will then be subject to an identity check at the BCP to ensure it identifies with the consignment that was declared in the documentation.
3. A proportion of consignments will be selected for a full physical inspection with/without sampling as appropriate.
4. Upon satisfactory completion of the required checks, the decision is entered in Part 2 of the CHED which must accompany the consignment to the first place of destination referred to in the CHED.
5. If the consignment does not meet the import requirements, the consignment may be rejected and either re-exported or destroyed.