Freeze Dried Mealworm Powder

Common names

mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), gusano de la harina [Spanish]; ver de farine, ténébrion meunier [French]; bicho-da-farinha [Portuguese]; meelworm [Dutch]; Mehlwürmer [German];ミールワーム [Japanese]; 밀웜 [Korean]; мучные черви [Russian]; หนอนนก [Thai]

Mealworms have historically been consumed in many Asian countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. There, they are commonly found in food markets and sold as street food alongside other edible insects.

In May 2017, mealworms were approved as food in Switzerland. In June 2021, dried mealworms were authorized as novel food in the European Union, after the European Food Safety Authority assessed the larvae as safe for human consumption.

Mealworm larvae contain significant nutrient content. For every 100 grams of raw mealworm larvae, 206 kilocalories and anywhere from 14 to 25 grams of protein are contained. Mealworm larvae contain levels of potassium, copper, sodium, selenium, iron and zinc that rival that of beef. Mealworms contain essential linoleic acids as well. They also have greater vitamin content by weight compared to beef, B12 not included.