EU Commission Regulation 2021/1372 — Authorisation of Insect PAPs in Poultry and Pig Feed
Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1372 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 17 August 2021 and entered into force on 7 September 2021, amending Annex IV of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 to authorise the use of processed animal proteins derived from insects (insect PAPs) in poultry and pig feed.
Political Path to Authorisation
- April 13, 2021: EU Member States voted positively on the authorisation (25 of 27 voted in favour), as required by the Regulatory Procedure with Scrutiny.
- August 17, 2021: Regulation 2021/1372 published in the OJ.
- September 7, 2021: Regulation entered into force; insect PAPs legally usable in poultry and pig feed.
Authorised Insect Species (Same Seven as 2017)
The 2021 authorisation maintained the same seven insect species as the 2017 aquafeed authorisation: Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly), Musca domestica (common housefly), Tenebrio molitor (yellow mealworm), Alphitobius diaperinus (lesser mealworm), Acheta domesticus (house cricket), Gryllodes sigillatus (banded cricket) and Gryllus assimilis (Jamaican field cricket). Subsequent Regulation (EU) 2021/1925 (November 2021) added Bombyx mori (silkworm), bringing the total to eight authorised species.
Market Significance
Per the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF), the 2021 authorisation opened two of the most relevant EU animal-feed markets, which represent circa 65% of the EU's compound feed production (poultry + pig together), to the European insect protein industry.
Hygiene and Processing Requirements
The Regulation applies in conjunction with the existing feed-ban derogation conditions under Annex IV of Reg (EC) No 999/2001: insect PAPs must be processed in accordance with one of the methods laid down in the TSE Regulation (e.g. method 1–5 for processed animal proteins per Annex IV Chapter IV), and the producer must be registered/approved as a feed business operator under Reg (EC) No 183/2005. Hydrolysis-derived insect meal, insect fat, and whole insects are exempt from the PAP processing-method requirements but remain subject to general feed hygiene and traceability requirements.
IPIFF Industry Response
Adriana Casillas, IPIFF President, stated: "Our sector warmly welcomes this final step in the authorization process of insect proteins in poultry and pig feed". The IPIFF noted the authorisation "represents one of the key regulatory priorities of IPIFF since its establishment" and is "an instrumental step in upscaling the European insect sector", contributing to accelerating progress on the EU 'Farm to Fork' strategy objectives by fostering circularity in food production and improving the sustainability and self-sufficiency of the European livestock sector.
Source
pdf-raw/insect-protein-2026/ipiff-insects-eu-legislation-overview.html (IPIFF Guide on Good Hygiene Practices for EU producers of insects as food and feed, November 2022 update; downloaded 2026-07-21). Cross-referenced with Feed & Additive Magazine, "EU authorizes insect proteins in poultry and pig feed", published 2021-08-17.
For the predecessor 2017/893 aquafeed authorisation, see eu_2017_893_aquaculture_first_authorization_insect_pap. For the November 2021 silkworm addition bringing the species count to eight, see companion topic eu_2021_1925_silkworm_added_to_authorised_species.