Qatar bans food containing insects

Qatar, a Gulf country with a Muslim majority, reaffirmed this Thursday evening the prohibition by religion to consume insects, after the addition in early January by the European Union to its list of authorized foods of new products containing them.

The insect-based products do not meet “the requirements of the technical standards for halal food” authorized for Muslims, the Qatari health ministry said in a statement.

Gulf Cooperation Council regulations “and religious advice from relevant authorities prohibit the consumption of insects or proteins and supplements extracted from them,” the ministry added.

Islam does not clearly prohibit the eating of insects, according to Muslim theologians. Most believe that locusts are halal or permitted, as they are mentioned in the Quran, but many Muslim theologians reject other insects as they are considered unclean.