The first edible big business in the capital is claiming that a combination of EU legislation and the UK’s approach to the market is forcing them out of business.
Horizon Insects says that post-Brexit regulations, which are set to kick in at the end of the year, are threatening their existence.
Whilst the company used to be environmentally conscious, they say that regulations have made this extremely difficult. Tiziana Di Constanzo, co-founder of Horizon Insects said:
“We’ve gone from a situation where we were zero waste farming insects with insects we farmed ourselves, but we now find that we have to import the bugs from Europe.
The supply chain has gone from 9 meters long, from our house to the farming shed, to the bugs having to come from Europe.”
More and more London restaurants feature critters on the menu
The regulations are being enforced by the Food Standards Agency, who are taking over the UK’s policy on edible bugs in the post-Brexit era.
The company has said that new applications for products are lengthy and costly, and they can’t cope with this as a small business.
Alongside this, the EU is making it easier for large companies to work as a monopoly in this field, causing small companies to suffer due to a lack of comparative resources.
The company say that even if they can survive, it won’t be with the ethical drive that they set out with, as regulations have made this impossible.
When asked for comment, the Food Standards Agency said:
“As an evidence-based regulator, The Food Standards Agency is committed to supporting business innovation in new markets while ensuring food is safe.
At the end of 2022 we made an amendment to retained European Union (EU) legislation that enables edible insects to remain on the market in England, Scotland and Wales as long as they are the subject of a novel food application made to authorities in Great Britain (GB) before 31 December 2023 and where the product was marketed in the EU/UK before 1 January 2018 and was the subject of an application to the EU (for authorisation as a novel food) by 1 January 2019, thus allowing business continuity wherever possible.”
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HeadlineLondon’s first edible insect farm claim to be forced out of business by Brexit regulations
Short HeadlineEdible insect company suffering as a result of Brexit regulations
StandfirstHorizon Insects, the capital's first edible insect company, say impending Brexit red tape is creating problems.
The first edible big business in the capital is claiming that a combination of EU legislation and the UK’s approach to the market is forcing them out of business.
Horizon Insects says that post-Brexit regulations, which are set to kick in at the end of the year, are threatening their existence.
Whilst the company used to be environmentally conscious, they say that regulations have made this extremely difficult. Tiziana Di Constanzo, co-founder of Horizon Insects said:
“We’ve gone from a situation where we were zero waste farming insects with insects we farmed ourselves, but we now find that we have to import the bugs from Europe.
The supply chain has gone from 9 meters long, from our house to the farming shed, to the bugs having to come from Europe.”
More and more London restaurants feature critters on the menu
The regulations are being enforced by the Food Standards Agency, who are taking over the UK’s policy on edible bugs in the post-Brexit era.
The company has said that new applications for products are lengthy and costly, and they can’t cope with this as a small business.
Alongside this, the EU is making it easier for large companies to work as a monopoly in this field, causing small companies to suffer due to a lack of comparative resources.
The company say that even if they can survive, it won’t be with the ethical drive that they set out with, as regulations have made this impossible.
When asked for comment, the Food Standards Agency said:
“As an evidence-based regulator, The Food Standards Agency is committed to supporting business innovation in new markets while ensuring food is safe.
At the end of 2022 we made an amendment to retained European Union (EU) legislation that enables edible insects to remain on the market in England, Scotland and Wales as long as they are the subject of a novel food application made to authorities in Great Britain (GB) before 31 December 2023 and where the product was marketed in the EU/UK before 1 January 2018 and was the subject of an application to the EU (for authorisation as a novel food) by 1 January 2019, thus allowing business continuity wherever possible.”
