All edible insects, except for the German cheese mite and flour mite, were recognised as novel foods in EU novel food regulations in 2015. This introduced the requirement for the products to be authorised before they can be placed on the EU market, which then included the UK.

Transitional measures allowed seven edible insect species to remain on the market in the EU and UK, subject to several specific conditions. Those species were:

1. Lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaparinus larvae) 
2. House cricket (Acheta domesticus) 
3. Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) 
4. Banded or decorated cricket (Gyllodes sigallatus) 
5. Bird grasshopper / desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) 
6. Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) 
7. Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)

However, From January 1st 2024, only Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), House cricket (Acheta domesticus) and Banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) are permitted to be used.